Aftermath
by lizziebaby
Summary: Takes place after the bomb in 2x08. No one died in the bomb and Godric doesn't kill himself. Rated M for language, sexual content, violence, gore, and drug use.
1. Tinkerbell

Her ears were ringing and there was a stinging pain in her left arm, but she couldn't think about that right now. Her eyes were trained on the same scene as everyone else's. Godric was laying crumpled on the floor. He took the worst of it. Sookie knew that vampires could heal themselves, but to what extent? He looked so fragile. Damaged. So, she did the only thing she could think to do. She rushed to his side and offered her neck, commanding him to drink. His eyes caught hers for a moment before he obliged and clamped down. She gasped from the pain of his fangs slipping into the soft flesh and clenched her teeth and scrunched her eyes shut. Every vampire in the room watched her feed their master with expressions of shock and awe. Who was this girl who would offer herself to save a complete stranger? But no one was more shocked than Eric. He knew that Sookie was kind and selfless, but this was more than he could've ever asked of her. Only a moment had passed before Bill stormed in, fuming.

"You dare feed from my human?"

Godric reluctantly pulled himself from Sookie and nodded in thanks for her kindness and compassion. He was about to respond to Bill before she cut him off.

"I told you before, Bill Compton, I belong to no one." Sookie's words shocked everyone. Never before had they witnessed a human defy her master in such a manner. Godric raised himself to his feet to elaborate on the situation to Bill, but - once again - Sookie beat him to it.

"He needed blood. I wanted to help. End of discussion." She spat the words at her lover, who was getting more furious by the second.

"Are you a whore now, Sookie? Will you allow anyone to feed from you?" As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them. Every vampire in the room bared their fangs and hissed. While most of them wouldn't think twice about a human's spat with her lover, this particular human had just saved their beloved sheriff. To hear someone speak so harshly to her was unforgivable.

Sookie flinched from his words, not noticing the reaction around her. She raised her hand and smacked Bill across the face, causing yet another reaction of shock from the witnesses.

"Don't you ever speak to me that way!" Her shrill voice and venom-filled tone hurt more than her hand.

Bill's fangs shot down and he launched himself at her, only to be stopped by Eric's hand tightening around his neck.

Eric's eyes turned cold as he leaned in close to Bill's face and spat out, " You. Will. Not. Harm. Sookie." The Viking slammed him against the wall. "Leave now."

Godric sped over and grabbed Bill's collar and tossed him out the door.

The entire congregation turned their gazes back to the human crumpled on the floor, clutching her sides and shaking like a leaf. Eric walked over and gently scooped her up into his arms and whisked her away to a bedroom. Godric, Isabelle, and Stan followed behind silently. Eric was sitting on the bed with Sookie in his lap and he was whispering to her in Old Swedish. She didn't know what he was saying, but found it comforting.

Isabelle moved to her side and began rubbing circles on her back. Sookie tilted her head and looked around. Everyone took in her pitiful appearance - her bloodshot eyes and tear-stained cheeks.

"I… I… didn't know I was doing anything wrong. No one ever told me. I just… I couldn't see you like that." She raised her pleading eyes to Godric. "I never meant to cause these problems. I'm so sorry." She lowered her eyes to the floor, ashamed of her behavior.

"You did nothing wrong." Stan's deep voice broke the silence. He nodded at her reassuringly. "You saved our sheriff. You had no ties to him, yet you offered yourself to save him. For that, we are all grateful."

Sookie couldn't believe what she was hearing. Stan had never directly spoken to her. He had frightened her. Know that he held her so high warmed her heart.

Isabelle and Eric were soon to agree with him. The tears that were rimming her eyes threatened to spill over again. Godric smiled at her and, very politely, asked his underlings and his child to allow him a moment alone with his savior. The three moved to the door and, after bowing slightly to Godric, exited. As the door shut once again, Godric turned to Sookie and spoke softly.

"Thank you again for… earlier. Now, I can only assume that you are unaware of your… situation, as most of your kind shy away from vampires for fear of being drained. Because I am very old, I was able to pull away, but you must know how very rare your blood is. You truly are a delicacy."

Sookie cringed at his words. She had always despised being compared to food, but she knew that he meant no harm. _Wait. My kind?_ Before she could ask, Godric resumed his little speech.

"Normally, I would not interfere, but as you have saved me, I feel I owe you this, at least: the reason why you taste so differently, the reason why so many crave you, is because you are part fae." Godric paused, knowing that she'd need time to absorb this.

Of course, Sookie had already heard of fairies when Sam explained the supernatural world to her after revealing himself as a shifter. _Really? Me? A fairy? It could explain the telepathy…_ She glanced up and realized he was waiting for a response.

"Thank you… for… telling me." It sounded more like a question. She averted her eyes. She really didn't know what else to say. She wanted to ask how he knew, but kept her mouth shut, knowing that there was a good chance she'd regret asking.

Godric had turned to leave when a small voice stopped him.

"Can you - could you… maybe… send Eric in? I think I'd like to go home now." She wrapped her arms around her torso, trying to stop the shakes that were resurfacing.

Godric nodded and left the room to summon his child and say his goodbyes. He wished he could spend more time with his child, but he understood that Sookie had already been through so much and she definitely needed sleep.

As Eric and Sookie were making their way out the door, Godric caught his arm and pulled his child aside.

"Protect her. At any cost." Eric could see in his maker's eyes how important she was to him. He nodded and turned to leave, not before shooing one last lingering glance at his maker. He had no idea how long it would be before they had another chance to meet up.

Eric took Sookie's hand in his and led her to his car. They rode in silence the whole way back to the hotel.

She struggled to keep the tears back. _Eric's done enough already. He shouldn't have to deal with my emotional breakdown. Reel it in, girl._

Eric fought the urge to ask if she was okay. _Of course she's not okay. She was nearly bombed to pieces, fed on, then humiliated by her asshole of a boyfriend. What kind of person would be okay after that? Why isn't she crying? She probably has no more left in her. She's so fragile. Must be protected. I'll get her to sleep and she'll be better when she wakes. She has to be better. _Eric let his thoughts consume him. His eyes were fiercely trained on the road ahead of them. He couldn't look at her. He couldn't see her like that.

They pulled into the lot and Sookie let out a small sigh of relief-exhaustion. Eric sped over to her door and offered his hand to help her out. She took it, but didn't let go when she was standing. Instead, she clutched it tightly as he lead her into the hotel, the elevator, and down the corridor. When they reached her door, it hit her like a ton of bricks. _Bill. _She shared a room with Bill. And she certainly wasn't ready to face him again.

Eric felt her stiffen at his side and sensed her apprehension at entering the suite. "He's not in there."

She visibly relaxed at his words. Still holding Eric's hand, she lead him inside, then, finally relinquished her death grip. "Would you stay? You know, in case he comes back?" Sookie kept her eyes on the floor.

_Is she serious? She wants me to stay? In her room? With her? Does she really trust me that much?_ Eric shook the thoughts from his head and simply nodded.

Sookie went to her bed and shed her clothes before climbing up onto the soft mattress and pulling the covers up to her chest. She turned to her side and sighed. She knew that she couldn't sleep alone. She'd gotten so used to sleeping curled up in Bill's arms, just the thought of no one holding her made her shudder.

_Maybe Eric… no. _She dismissed the idea. She was still a lady. And she was quite sure that ladies didn't sleep with two men in a week. Not wanted to be judged for poor character, she shut her eyes and tried to force herself to sleep.

Eric moved silently to the door and his eyes drifted to the small curled up figure on the bed. _So tiny… fragile._ Eric's head snapped up at the sound of a mousy request coming from the figure.

"Can you lay with me? Just until I fall asleep?" _Oh, God! What the fuck is wrong with me? Take it back. Take it the fuck back!_ Sookie was so busy mentally chastising herself that she almost didn't hear his response.

"Sure." Eric moved to stand beside the bed. He slipped off his jacket and shoes. He knew he shouldn't take off more than that. Sookie froze up as he slipped in beside her.

_I can't believe I'm doing this. Don't stare. God, she's beautiful. Is her skin as soft as it looks? Maybe if I just touch… NO! No, she's vulnerable. She doesn't need anyone feeling her up right now. Especially not someone who's meant to protect her. Just keep your hands to yourself, Eric. _He closed his eyes and wished for silence in his head.

_Oh, God. Look at him. He's perfect. Those arms… God, Sookie. What is wrong with you? Now is not the time to be fantasizing over that Viking GOD lying next to you. You hate him, remember? Get it together, girl. _Sookie closed her eyes once again and willed herself to sleep.

He knew the moment she was asleep. Her breathing had evened out and the pained look on her face had been replaced by one of contentment. He knew he should get up. She had only asked him to stay until she fell asleep. And she was definitely asleep. So he should get up. But she rolled over and placed her arm across his chest. That was it. That was the ext moment he realized that he had gone soft. The old Eric wouldn't have given a damn that she'd had a rough night. He would've used her vulnerability and take advantage of her. He wanted her and he always got what he wanted. So why was she so different? He truly wanted to protect her. He couldn't bear to see her suffer anymore. The moment he felt her skin touch his, he was determined.

Eric laid there, cradling Sookie in his arms for a few hours before he heard Bill in the corridor outside. He hated the thought of leaving her, but she'd had enough drama for one night. And he would not allow that fool to wake her. He gently set aside her arm and rose from the bed. He closed the door behind him and went off to greet Bill.


	2. Take off your pants

Eric sat back on the couch with a smirk on his face as he watched Bill walk through the door. _I can't wait to see the look on this fucker's face._

"Good evening, Mr. Compton. I just came by to let you know that I no longer require your services. You are dismissed."

Bill was seething, but he kept his voice low and tried to reason with Eric. "I need to see her - to apologize." His words were dripping bullshit and Eric could sense it.

"Really? Exactly how do plan to apologize to her for your behavior?" _He is so full of shit. He's always hated humans, but he magically changes his ways, finds a telepath, and gets her to love him. What the hell is he trying to do? There's no fucking way he cares for her. Not like I could. NO! _Eric's internal argument was put on hold when Bill answered through gritted teeth.

"It is of no concern to you how I plan to apologize. She is mine. Or have you forgotten?" Bill tried to stay calm, but he was losing it quickly.

"Sookie belongs to no one. Everyone heard her said it." Eric was on the verge of laughing out loud at the expression on Bill's face, but he kept it in, in favor of twisting the knife a little more.

"Stay out of this Eric. Sookie is important. She must be protected," Bill growled.

_What is with this idiot?_ "I know she's important. I don't need a fool like you to tell me that. And I could protect her better than you." It was childish, and Eric knew it, but he just didn't want to share her with anyone. Not that she was his to share.

He found that he quickly grew bored with the conversation. He grabbed Bill's neck and shoved him out the door. " Do not come back." He turned around and tried to collect his calm.

Sookie had been sitting up in bed the whole time. At first she wanted to talk to Bill. _Maybe he was mad at Lorena. He didn't mean to take it out on me._ She didn't really believe that, though. Bill had a history of overreacting. And she wasn't going to make excuses for him anymore. He was always distant… _empty._ Even when they were making love. That stung. She cringed from the memories.

She heard Eric toss Bill out and smiled. _He cares about me? Could Eric ever really care about anyone?_ The corners of her mouth tugged up into a small smile and she let out a small sigh of contentment.

Eric's head snapped up at the soft sound coming from the bedroom. He tilted his head to the side and listened in. _Heart racing. She's awake. Goddamn. Was it the arguing that woke her? I am such a fool. I should've met Bill outside. Wait. Why should I care if she's awake. She's just a stupid girl. Who saved my maker. Must protect her. Why? What is she doing to me? _Eric groaned in frustration and rose from his seat. As he headed for the bedroom, he heard her heart rate speed up. _She knows I'm coming in there. _As he walked through the door, he was stunned by the sweetest smile stretching across Sookie's face. _Why would she smile at someone like me? I've done nothing but cause her grief. Not that I care. But I do. _He couldn't help but to flash a small smile in return.

"I apologize for waking you." Eric spoke his piece softly and turned to leave.

"Don't go," Sookie pleaded.

_Don't do this, Eric. Just walk away. You've already done enough. Walk. The. Fuck. Away._ But his body completely ignored his mind's commands. He turned towards the bed and his eyes rose to meet hers.

Sookie sat up in the bed and the covers slipped down to reveal her perfectly nude body. Her droopy eyelids and rough voice suggested that she was far too tired to notice. But Eric noticed. He definitely noticed. He tried to suppress his _delight_ at the view as he moved to slide into the bed.

"Don't be silly, Eric. Take off your pants. They can't be comfortable to sleep in," Sookie murmured as she sank back into the bed and closed her eyes.

_This can't be happening. Does she really want this? Of course not. Just wants to be alone. .. What's wrong with you? You're a master of seduction and she just screams easy target. But it wouldn't be the same. She has to want it. I can't take advantage of her like this. Yes I can. No. She has to be herself. That's what I love about her. What? Love? God, she's a witch. She's bewitched me. That's all. Just take her. You want her. Take her. _Once again, his body ignored his mind as he slipped out of his clothes and into the bed next to the telepath. And, once again, she wrapped her arm around him. He let out a soft moan. _She'll be the death of me._ He closed his eyes and let the dawn chase him into a dreamless slumber.

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**__** This is actually my first story, so I'm learning as I go. I am always open to suggestions, so if you have any, feel free to share. **_

_**I'm sorry this chapter was so short, but the next will be super good, I promise. Also, more Sookie/Godric interaction for **__Tvnut Loves Eric Northman__**. And - later on - I'll explain why Bill stayed in Dallas rather than returning to Bon Temps, but it'll be much later in the story. I don't want to give too much away.**_


	3. Smells like betrayal

_**SPOILERS HAPPEN IN THIS CHAPTER.**_

Several hours later, Sookie rose from the most perfect sleep. She took in her surroundings - the softest bedspread she had ever felt, a blackout hotel room that was only slightly illuminated by the bathroom light, oh! And a pants-less Eric (whom she was curled around… naked). She knew that she should be worried, but she just couldn't bring herself to be. She reflected on the night's events with a smug grin on her face. _He wanted _to protect _her._

The sun would be setting in a couple of hours. Sookie mentally listed what she needed to do in that short period of time. _Food. Shower… definitely shower. _She gently lifted herself up, so as not to disturb the gorgeous Viking vampire lying next to her (though she highly doubted that anything could wake him while the sun was still out). She stumbled out of the bedroom, grabbing a rob on the way. There was a mini fridge in the room, but it was only stocked with liquor and synthetic blood, so she decided to call down for room service.

While she waited for her food, she took a much needed shower. She'd shed the robe on the way into the bathroom, only briefly noting how rarely she'd worn clothes since she'd met Bill. _Oh, Bill._ She could feel the stress building as she reach to turn on the shower. As she stepped in, she mentally promised herself to stop agonizing over Bill's bullshit.

She let out a sigh when she felt the hot water cascading over her body, loosening up the knots in her muscles. It was pure heaven. She lost track of how much time she had wasted just standing there. Sookie's eyes snapped open. Her skin was red from the heat. And she knew that the sun would be setting any minute. She found herself in a sudden rush as she fiercely scrubbed the grime and blood from her body. The bomb had done far more damage than she had originally calculated. She winced as she scrubbed over the deep gash in her arm. _Oh, I should've tended to that. It could get infected._ She quickly washed her hair and turned off the water.

She was just stepping out of the shower when she realized that she had left the door wide open. The very moment she noticed that just happened to be the moment Eric chose to wake. Sookie froze as he shot up in the bed. She watched his eyes train themselves on her very wet, very _naked _body. Before she even had the chance to think to cover herself, a knock at the door snapped them both out of their reverie.

"Room service," Sookie stated. "I called for some food."

Eric was shaking his head before she could even finish. "Godric." He rose from the bed and moved to the door to greet his maker.

Godric stepped inside and glanced nervously around the suite. "Where is she?"

Eric's heart sank. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. Wrong enough that Godric had personally come to warn him. His mind was reeling with the possibilities.

He could see the panic in his child's eyes. Godric wished that he could offer something calming, but he could not. "Sophie-Ann wants the girl. She sent someone to retrieve her, but it has become apparent that he has failed. So now, she comes for the telepath herself," Godric explained.

Sookie walked out of the bedroom, her sweet summer dress violently contrasting the terror in her eyes. "Sophie- Ann?"

Both men glanced up at her with apologies in their eyes.

_Oh, God. Look at them. There's no hope and they know it. They just can't bring themselves to say it out loud. Sophie-Ann. She must be a vampire by the way they're talking about her. A powerful one. Oh, sweet Jesus. Why does this always happen to me? Wait. She sent someone for me. And they failed. Who? Who'd she send? Would I know him? Oh, God. Was it one of Bill's friends that died in the fire? What if she thinks I did that? Oh, God. Oh, God. I never could, but she doesn't know that. She doesn't know me. Oh, God. _Sookie could feel the hysteria bubbling up inside her.

Eric spoke up. "Sophie-Ann Leclerq is the vampire queen of Louisiana."

_Queen? _"There's a vampire queen of Louisiana? And she's coming for me?" Sookie's voice shot up an octave. "Oh, God. This is bad. This is really bad. Very really bad. This is bad on a level that I can't even - wait. Who'd she send for me?" Sookie's fear-filled eyes met Godric's.

Godric shifted in his seat and directed his eyes to the floor. Eric had never seen his maker so uncomfortable.

"Sookie," Godric began, "The queen sent Bill."

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**__** Okay, once again, short chapter. And I'm sorry. And I had no intention of talking about Bill's betrayal so soon, but since everyone figured it anyway, I decided that I might as well. So, yeah. There's that. Also: More Godric/Sookie in the next chapter (which will be significantly longer, as I have a lot to cover). AND AND AND!!!! Last night's eppy. I totally almost exploded from the awesome. I keep watching that first part over and over. Yeah. Just thought I'd share. **_


	4. Come back to me

Sookie shut down. _No. Bill? Bill? He… I… Oh, God. I let him - I let him in my house - in my bed. Oh, he… I let him touch me. WE MADE LOVE! And I was just some… assignment? God, he… he was my first. He's the only man I've ever known and it wasn't even real? His hands… they were all over me. He's touched me everywhere and it meant nothing. NOTHING! He… why? Why would he do that to me? How could he? What kind of person… no. Not a person. Not even human. Oh, God. I'm so ashamed. I should've known. He was so cold. So distant. I should've seen it. I should've backed away. Oh, what would my Gran say? _

The men exchanged a look as they watched her slip into shock. Neither of them could really imagine what she was going through. All they could do was watch.

Room service came and went, leaving her burger and fries. She didn't look very interested in food at the moment, so they left it on the cart and pushed it to the side of the room. Maybe she would eat later… _if she ever snapped out of her little meltdown._

Eric was the first to break the silence. "Maybe… if I created a bond with her… Sophie-Anne wouldn't try to take her then… right? If she was mine," _I would protect her always. Always. Mine. She would be only mine. Forever. I could touch her. Kiss her. Feel her. Always. Mine._ "no harm would come to her."

"She'd find a way. She'd kill you if you tried to stop her. Sophie-Anne is ruthless. For her to add a telepath to her little collection… others would hear of it. They would have greater respect for her. And her powerful _toys_," Godric spat. "No. We must think of something else. We cannot allow her to have Sookie. Not after all she's done. She deserves better."

They returned to silence. The hour passed quickly. Then the next. And the next. With each passing hour, Eric became less concerned with formulating a plan and more concerned with how to shake Sookie from her state of shock. She had sat there, still as a… _vampire_. Eric shuddered at the thought. He was beginning to see how unsettling vampires could be.

He moved toward the girl, palms out. Trying to show her he meant her no harm. Trying to show he was not threat. He knelt down in front of her and looked into her eyes. "Sookie? Sookie, everything will be alright. Please, just… Godric and I ca-" Eric froze. _Godric. He could do it. _Eric stood and spun around to face his maker.

"You could do it. You could form the bond. No one would dare challenge you. Not even Sophie-Anne. Everyone saw her save you. They would all believe you had a legitimate reason to want to keep her. And since Bill ran out on her, he has no more claim. Everyone saw. They would all stand for you. You could do it." Eric's voice was pleading.

Godric smiled. He always knew his child was brilliant. "That… would be an acceptable plan, but… Sookie would have to agree. I would not try to form a bond without her consent." He spared another glance in her direction. She had been through so much already and he was truly surprised that it took this long to get to her.

Eric moved back to Sookie and gently cupped her face in his hands. "Sookie? Sookie, please?" _Please be okay. _"Sookie, min älskade, everything will be alright. Please, kom tillbaka till mig." His panic was evident in his voice. He stroked her cheek with his fingertips. _Please. I could never ask for anything more in my miserable existence. Please._

Godric let a small smile creep across his face. _Finally. He has been alone for far too long. And she is perfect for him. They will protect each other. Though neither will ever admit that they need protection…_ He really was proud of his child for finding someone like her - someone worthy of his affections. He worried, though, that Eric would never tell her what she meant to him. His thoughts paused for a moment when he saw Sookie move out of the corner of his eye. He saw the relief flicker across his child's face before he managed to compose himself.

"Sookie, we have a plan," Eric began, "but you might not like it."

"Gee, that's a shocker." _Sarcasm. Good. Stick with that. They can't hear my panic if I'm being a smart ass. _Sookie tried to mentally prepare herself. She knew she wouldn't like whatever plan they came up with, but she trusted them. She didn't know why, but she did. She put her serious face on. "I'll do it. Whatever it is. I'll do it." _Anything would be better than the alternative of being a pet to some psycho queen and her butt-face bitch-boy._

Eric took in an unnecessary breath. _She says that now… _He began explaining the plan. "Godric… is very well respected in our community. If he were to bond with you, I highly doubt that anyone would go up against him. No other vampire would dare touch you. You'd be protect by him. And me." He paused to give her a moment to collect herself, before continuing. "Would this be acceptable to you?" _Say yes. Please, say yes. _

Honestly, it wasn't near as bad as she thought it would be. Sookie could tell that this was all they had, so she was quick to agree. "Okay. So how does he bond with me? Wait. Does that mean I'll be a vampire?" Her eyes widened.

"No." Eric knew better to ask that of her. "No. It means that you will give him your blood, and take some of his. And you will be connected. He will be able to sense your emotions. And find you when you need him." He took in her expression. "It is our best option."

Sookie took a moment to think it over. _It couldn't be that bad. I like Godric. He's very kind and I know that he'd protect me if I needed it. I could think of worse things, really. But would I have to stay here? Eric. Why couldn't Eric do it? _"Why can't Eric bond with me? I don't want to stay in Dallas. I don't mean to offend you, but I have a home and everyone I know in Bon Temps."

"I understand, Sookie, but you will be able to return to your home. Eric, of course, will stay with you to protect you. Sophie-Anne would find a way to dispose of him were he the one to bond with you, but she would not dare question my motives." Godric knew this was little consolation. Eric would be the better choice for Sookie, but he could not risk his child being hurt or killed when it could be prevented so easily.

"Okay. I'll do it." Sookie rose and moved closer to Godric. "Now?"

"I suppose there's no reason to postpone it." Godric motioned for her to sit next to him. "Are you sure?" It was unfair to pressure her into such a thing and he knew it, but it truly was the only way.

"Yes." She drew in a deep breath and readied herself for the pain, but there was none. He was gentle with her. _Of course._

When he pulled away from her, he sank his teeth into his own wrist. She heard the sickening sound of his fangs tearing into flesh, but she pushed the disgust down and pressed her mouth to the wound. This was a big deal to him and she knew it. She didn't want to offend by hesitating. His blood was nothing like Bill's. It was warm and smooth. And sweet. Not enough so that she'd forget what she was drinking, but enough that she didn't mind so much. She took one last gulp before the wound closed, and looked up to meet Godric's eyes.

"So…" Sookie felt that she should say something, but really, what does one say after creating a blood bond? "The queen will leave me alone, now?"

"Yes." Eric knew that it sounded cocky, but really, no one actually had the balls to challenge Godric.

He watched Sookie move to the bathroom and wet a washcloth. She began to wipe the blood from her mouth and neck. _Sophie-Anne will never get near her. Not ever. I'll kill her myself if I have to. _Eric knew that, no matter what, he would protect Sookie - even if it meant that he would meet his final death.

"Eric, there's no need to be talking about killing the queen anymore. The bond is created and she'll back off," Sookie spoke up from the bathroom.

He froze. "Sookie, I didn't say anything about killing the queen."

"Yes, you did. I just… heard… you." Sookie stepped out of the bathroom and looked at the two vampires. _Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God. They're going to kill me. It's the only thing that's kept me alive. Not hearing them. Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God. _She started hyperventilating and fell to her knees.

Eric and Godric exchanged a knowing look before moving to Sookie's side.

_It must be a side effect of the blood bond. _"Calm down, Sookie. No one has to know about this." Eric gently placed his hand on her shoulder.

She should've cringed away. She knew what this meant. All vampires would be after her now. And he was very clearly a vampire. She should've cringed away, _but she didn't_. She wrapped her arms around Eric and buried her face in his chest. "I'm… so… sorry." Her words were barely audible through the choking sobs. "I… didn't mean to… hear you."

Eric shushed her as he scooped her up into his arms. "Everything is alright. It wasn't your fault." He began moving her toward the bedroom, thinking that she might just need some rest. "Everything will be fine. Just get some sleep and we'll talk about it when you wake up." He laid her out on the mattress and pulled the covers over her. He turned to leave, but she caught his arm.

"Please?"

_**TRANSLATIONS:**_

_**min älskade - **__my love_

_**kom tillbaka till mig**__** - **__come back to me_

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**__** I don't actually know Swedish, so I used an online translator for those. If they're wrong, I'm sorry, but that's what I was going for. Also, this is still an Eric/Sookie story, but I really wanted a reason to keep Godric around, so that's why I went with that. New chapter - or two - up tomorrow. Oh! And Happy 33**__**rd**__** Birthday to Alexander Skarsgård. :D **_


	5. Grownups

Eric couldn't hide the pleasure he felt when she asked him to stay. And he knew she knew. But, mercifully, she kept her mouth shut. He knew he shouldn't be having those thoughts about a human, even a gifted one. And Sookie drove him crazy. She was one of very few who had ever defied him and lived. And that endeared her to him even more. She truly was a magnificent creature.

He slipped his shirt over his head and smirked when he saw her eyes light up. _She wants me just as bad._ His smirk turned into a full smile when he saw her turn her head away and blush. _She does that a lot around me. _He watched her turn an even brighter shade of red and decided that, yes, he _would_ have a lot of fun with this. He thought about taking off his pants, but he was going commando tonight and he didn't want to upset her.

"Oh, we're both grown-ups here. I'm not wearing anything either and I don't care. Just… don't you try anything with me." She tried to look serious, but she just couldn't quite pull it off. If she was really honest with herself, she kind of did want to see him naked, but she was still a lady. She turned her head away and closed her eyes and waited for him to get into the bed next to her. _Just a little peek… No. What is wrong with me? I'm so ashamed. I've never behaved like this before. What is happening to me?_ She felt his weight on the bed and the tug on the sheets. She opened her eyes and turned to face him. _There's that damn smirk again._

"You know. I don't mind if you want to want to wrap that body of yours around mine like yesterday. I very much enjoyed it." Eric flashed a dazzling smile.

_Of course. There's the Eric I've come to… what? Love? No. Tolerate. Tolerate. I tolerate him. God, I am so damn glad he can't hear me. _"You know, you _could_ actually try to behave." Once again, she couldn't actually look serious. _He has the most beautiful eyes… and lips… No. Behave. _"Sweet dreams, Eric." She closed her eyes and let out a sigh. _Smooth, Sookie. That was fucking stellar. Sweet dreams? What are you? 8?_

Eric watched her as she fell into sleep. And, once again, she molded her body around his. He honestly couldn't imagine a time when he felt like this. So… _happy. _Something was happening to him. He didn't know what it was, but he couldn't bring himself to care. _If I could just feel this way a little longer… just for tonight…_ He closed his eyes and succumbed to the death-sleep brought on by the sun.

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**__** I know this is the shortest chapter ever and I'm ultra sorry, but I'll post three tomorrow to make up for it. And spoilers for the next chapters: Eric and Sookie get closer, Sophie-Anne and her infinite psychosis, and Godric saves the day. Also, I won't be posting on Friday on account of the surgery. Sorry times infinity. **_


	6. Fucking unreal

Sookie's eyelids fluttered. It was easily the most comforting sleep she'd ever had. She pushed herself up in bed and swung her feet over the edge. She inhaled deeply as she raised her arms above her head and twisted to the side. She had forgotten how good it felt to just… wake up an stretch. It was something she always seemed to take for granted. _Not anymore. _She had decided that she'd no longer be ungrateful. So many bad things had happened recently. She knew that any day could be her last. And she was not about to let the little things by anymore.

She padded into the bathroom and turned to face the mirror. Something was certainly different. She was glowing. Her eyes practically sparkled and she has a soft blush in her cheeks. She smiled. She had a really good feeling about the night. _Of course, Eric is to blame. I know it. Why does he make me feel this way. Shouldn't I still hate him? Isn't he the same Eric who chained up and tortured LaFayette? I hate him. He's cruel and arrogant and I want to kiss him. God help me, I want to kiss him more than anything in the world._ She tried to shake the thoughts from her mind. She reached into the shower to turn it on.

As soon as she stepped in, all of her thought melted into a sort of chant. _Eric. Eric. Eric. _She was honestly starting to fear for her mental stability. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back, under the spray. She felt something graze against her stomach and her eyes shot open. _Eric._

She froze… or she should have. Her eyes took in the glorious view before she could even think to be embarrassed. _Oh, God. Is this really happening? Am I really doing this? What does this mean? Maybe he's just bored and I happen to be the only girl around. I mean, this is Eric. He could certainly score more attractive, less troublesome girls. Why is he even bothering with me? _She should've said something, but she stopped herself.

_So perfect. I've never wanted anything more in my life. She's so beautiful. I can't believe I'm doing this. Why is she letting me do this? Do I really care? So soft… _He saw the surprise and hesitation in her eyes, but when she didn't say anything or try to push him away, he took it as a good sign. He reached out to stroke her face and his eyes lit up when he saw her lips part as he gingerly brushed his thumb over them. His hand slipped behind her neck and grasped a fistful of hair as he slowly brought her face closer to his.

Her heart was racing and her breathing was erratic. She was sure he could tell, but she simply did not care. She leaned into him and brushed her lips against his. Softly, at first. Then harder, more desperately. A soft moan escaped her lips as she wrapped her arms around his neck, inviting him closer. She needed this. She needed this like she needed air. She just didn't know it until this very moment.

He pushed her against the wall and pressed his body against hers. He made no attempt to hide the effect she was having on his body. His hands made their way down her back and he stopped at her hips. He lifted her up, never removing his lips from hers. He felt a surge of excitement when he heard her whimper in anticipation. This was turning into the greatest night of his thousand years.

She pulled away from his lips and smirked when she heard him moan in loss. She immediately moved her lips to his chin, then his neck. Over his broad shoulders… his clavicles… She wanted to taste every bit of him. _Never knew how much I wanted… He's so beautiful…The way he feels pressed against me… Like I'm going to explode… _Sookie's thoughts got more and more incoherent with every strategically placed kiss.

A loud knock on the door made both of them jump. Eric knew that he should've heard Godric moving around, but he was a little… preoccupied.

"I'm terribly sorry for disturbing you at this time, but we have visitors on their way up."

Eric lowered her until her feet were, once again, touching the ground. Now it was her turn to whimper in loss. They both knew that they had other things to deal with at the moment, so they silently agreed to pick… whatever this was… up later. And they _would_ pick it up later. Eric stepped out of the shower and moved back into the bedroom, but Sookie stayed and finished cleaning herself.

_Fucking unreal. _Eric quickly dressed himself and went out to the main room to wait with Godric.

Sookie finished up in the shower and quickly dried off. _No way. Something actually goes right for me, but "visitors" go and ruin it? Fuck that. _She threw on her clothes and a scowl and headed to join the men in the room.


	7. The queen's consort

No one spoke a single word for what seemed like hours, but turned out to be only a few minutes. Sookie didn't actually have the guts to look at Eric, though he couldn't seem to keep his eyes off of her. And she knew it. He couldn't keep his trademarked shit-eating grin off of his face when he saw a blush spread across her face. Even Godric had a small smile on his face when he took notice of the antics between his child and the telepath.

_God. Why does he keep staring at me like that? Doesn't he have any shame? Of course not. It's Eric . He doesn't even know the meaning of the word. I cannot believe I did that with him. I wanted it so bad. I could've… I almost… It was like… I was being glamoured. It was like… I was burning for him. What is wrong with me? I can still feel it. Like he's inside of me. I must've lost my mind. That's it. That's totally it. I've just been pushed too far. My mind is broken. That's the only explanation. That's the only reason why I'd want someone like him. Someone who… has the most perfect body. God, his stomach. Those lips! I guess you learn a lot in a thousand years. A thousand years… How many other women… Oh, God. I'm just another notch in his bedpost. Then again, maybe the experience isn't so bad. I mean… he could've learned… perfected… God. He'd better wipe that smirk off of his face before I do it for him. I can't believe him. He's so damn cocky. I don't care how many women he's been with. He doesn't have to be so damn confident. Does he have any idea how intimidating that is? God. If I had… I would be horrible to him. I could never compare… Stop. It's not going to happen. Just a simple lapse in judgment. But it's over now. It's okay. Just… breathe. _Sookie took in a deep shaky breath. She felt Godric's hand tighten on hers. _He must sense my anxiety. _She tried to reign in the crazy for at least a few moments so that hew didn't have to deal with it.

_I wish she would just stop fighting it. They'd be so perfect for each other. She'd help him keep his humanity. He could protect her. She certainly needs it. I've never met anyone who was so desired. She certainly causes a lot of trouble. But she's worth it. She is truly gifted. And she doesn't even know just how valuable she is… _Godric turned to offer a small smile in Sookie's direction. He only hoped it was as comforting as he meant it to be.

_Fuck the queen. And her little visit. I should just take her right now. She wanted me. She really wanted me. The way she wrapped her arms around me… Those moans… She's killing me. I want to touch her again. Now. I want to touch her right now. Just do it. Just pick her up… and carry her into the bedroom. We wouldn't come out for days. I will have her. She will be mine. Only mine. _Eric had always been arrogant, but he had honestly never been more sure of anything in his life. She would be his. There was no doubt in his mind.

A knock at he door startled Sookie out of her inner battle. She jumped at the sudden sound and then blushed brightly when the men on either side of her turned to look at her. She rose automatically, but Eric took her hand and pulled her back down. He stood and walked to the door to welcome the guests.

Bill was the first one through the door. _I can't even believe I have to be here. Eric's probably fucked her already. He works fast. Then again, so does she. Fucking human. I can't even believe I lasted that long. Constantly whining. Sophie-Anne owes me big for this bullshit mission. Failed or not. That was the most annoying shit I've ever had to do. I will be so fucking glad when this shit is over. _

Sookie flinched from his thoughts, but quickly composed herself. _Oh, God. What if they saw that? They don't know I can read vampire minds now. Keep it together. Just keep it together. They couldn't have known. No one could've known. God, this is a fucking disaster. I can't believe this is happening to me. Did he hate every single moment he spent with me? How could I not have known? I thought… I can't do this. I have to get out of here. No. Stay out here. Don't let them think anything is wrong. Don't let them know that you know anything. I can't believe I couldn't see through his shit. Fuck you, Bill. I hope you rot. Goddamn you. _

The next to step through the door was the queen herself, Sophie-Anne. _Oh, fuck me. Godric's bonded with her? There's no way I can get her now. Did he know? Unlikely. Play it out. Maybe he'll be willing to trade. She's pretty. Prettier than I thought. _

That was the thought that shocked Sookie the most. She couldn't really ever remember being so uncomfortable. To say that Sophie-Anne was stunning was an extreme understatement. She was perfection personified. Sookie knew she could never compete. She honestly felt like crying… up until the point when she realized Eric's eyes were glued to hers. It felt like her could actually see into her head. And he smiled. And winked. _Jesus, is he fucking suicidal? Behave!_ Sookie rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the door and the last person who was walking through it. And her jaw dropped.

No one else paid any attention to the girl who had just walked in. No one, that is, except for Sookie. She was sure she was hallucinating. Of all of the messed up things in her life, she had the most trouble accepting this. _Not possible. Not fucking possible. _"Hadley? What the hell?"


	8. Update for Hadley

The vampires in the room turned to watch the spectacle that was the two human girls.

"Sookie! Babe, I've missed you!" Hadley extended her arms to embrace her cousin, but the affection was clearly unwanted.

"What the hell?" Sookie was fuming. I thought you were dead. Everyone thought you were dead! Where were you? You couldn't call? We couldn't even find you for Gran's funeral!" She was trembling as the anger ripped through her. _I can't believe this. That's why that psycho queen wants me. Because Hadley told her what I can do. Why would she do that? How does she even know the queen? Does she know about Bill? Was she a part of that? My own cousin?_

Godric stood and moved to her side. He took her hand in his and led her back to the couch. She was very clearly distressed and, while he could see that she had every reason to be, he needed her to be calmer at such a pivotal moment.

"Gran's dead?" Now it was Hadley's turn for an emotional breakdown. "What happened? When? What about Jason? Is he okay?" The panic was evident in her voice. She hadn't really given much thought to her family since she'd met the queen. The guilt of her neglect was finally setting in.

Sookie could see that Godric needed her to behave, so she tried to push all of her anger and shock and hurt down and answered her cousin's questions as calmly as she could. "Gran was murdered. We had a serial killer in Bon Temps. He was going to hurt people who associated with vampires and Gran had befriended Bill..." Sookie paused to spare a glance in her ex-lover's direction. _God, why can't I blame you for this? If you had never showed up, my Gran would still be alive. And you don't even care. You have no could. I can't believe I fell for it. I've always been smarter than most people. Is it really so easy to trick me into something? I guess if I couldn't read your mind... God, I hate you. _The glance had quickly turned into a glare.

She picked back up in her update for Hadley. " He's dead now. It was about a month ago." _A month? God, it seems so far away. So much has happened. How could I ever let myself forget? What kind of person am I?_ Sookie realized that she had paused in her response to mentally chastise herself, so she quickly started back before anyone could say anything else. "Jason's fine. He... he's fine. _Where were you?_"

"I... hit a rough patch. I almost died, but," Hadley turned her gaze to Sophie-Anne, "the queen saved me. She took me in. She cared for me. Oh, Sookie, she really is amazing. And she wants you to come live with us! Can you believe it? Oh, it'll be so much fun. We can -"

Sookie cut her off. "I'm not going off to live with some stranger!" She turned her head to the queen. "No offense, but I don't know you. I don't know anything about you." Sookie knew that this would be an excellent time to shut the hell up, but she just couldn't stop. "I'm not going to live with you." She turned to face Hadley again. "Or you. I haven't seen you in ages and you just show up like nothing ever happened and ask me to move in with you and your new friend. Do you have any idea how crazy that sounds?"

"Are you quite finished?" Bill spoke for the first time and instantly regretted it. Once again, he had a hand around his throat, only this time; the hand was attached to Godric.

Sophie-Anne seemed not to even notice the scene taking place not ten feet from her. Instead, every bit of her attention was directed toward Sookie. She felt a chill run down her spine when she noticed the queen's stare. _What is her problem? It's not polite to stare. And even if it was, it's still disconcerting. God, stop looking at me!_ Her discomfort almost caused her to miss Godric's threatening words.

"You will _not _address my bonded in such a manner." His eyes flashed in anger and he tightened his grip. "_Apologize_."

Godric has always been so calm and cool. To see him so furious should've scared Sookie, but it didn't. She felt warm. _Protected._ She could've even smiled, though it would've been wildly inappropriate. She fought to keep a straight face and turned to Bill. His expression was priceless.

If he wasn't already dead, Bill could die of humiliation. He could count on one hand the times he had apologized in his life. And not one of those apologies was to a human. He knew that he had absolutely no chance of squirming his way out of Godric's grasp, so he swallowed his pride and opened his mouth. "I... am sorry."

"Godric... let him down." Sookie heard the thump as Bill's feet made contact with the floor. She turned to glare at him. "Leave," she commanded. She shuddered when she saw him look to the queen _for permission_. Mercifully, she nodded and he moved to the door. After spared one last look for his queen (and no one else), he turned and left the room. Sookie almost collapsed in relief. She moved back to the couch and sat next to Godric, taking his hand in hers. And before anyone had the chance to star speaking again, she turned her head to the side and flashed a quick smile to Eric.

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**__** I'll be staying with my grandmother during recovery. I'm sorry you had to wait so long for this chapter. Also, I just can't wait for tomorrow. It bugs me that they're dreams, but I can settle for that until they get to the real thing. MAKE IT HAPPEN, ALAN BALL! Ah, but seriously. I have to type up the other two chapters, so if there's anything you'd like to see specifically, let me know soon, and I'll try to add it in. I hope everyone has a fantastic evening.  
**_


	9. Love is a four letter word

"Well, that was certainly... _interesting._" Sophie-Anne turned her unsettling smile on Sookie. _You will be mine. I can't wait to taste you. So sweet. Mine. All mine. I will have you in every way possible. And you will ache for me. Only me. Sweet Sookie. Your smell alone is intoxicating. What is it that makes you smell so damn good? I must know._ Without thinking about it, the queen was leaning closer and closer to the frightened human.

Sookie had a lot of practice over the years in masking her emotions. And this was obviously a big test. She did not disappoint. Poker face in place, she returned the queens smile, but tightened her grip on Godric's hand.

Sophie-Anne's gaze moved to Godric. "I was wondering if we could speak in private." Her new smile was amiable enough, but Sookie heard the malice behind her words. _I'd kill you myself if I knew I could get away with it. How dare you bond with her? Mine. She's mine! Fucking ass. I will take her from you. I'll find a way._

Sookie tensed up, but Godric sent her a wave of calm through their bond. _Don't worry, dear Sookie. I will not let my guard down around her. I know exactly what she's capable of. I will be fine. _Sookie visible relaxed at his message... maybe a little too visibly. But if anyone noticed anything, they certainly didn't mention it.

He nodded his head in the queen's direction, rose to his feet, and offered her his arm - which she took. They moved ever so gracefully into the bedroom, leaving Sookie, Hadley, and Eric behind.

Sookie only meant to drop her guards to hear Hadley, her idiot cousin who had run away from rehab, joined ranks with vampires, and betrayed Sookie by telling her secret. Of course, telepathy doesn't work that way. As soon as her shields were down she was bombarded by Eric's thoughts. She was going to put them back up... she _was._ But... she couldn't _He was thinking about her._

_Perfect. Everything about her is perfect. The ways she smells, the way she kisses. I want to touch her. Hold her. Forever. More than anything in this world, I want her. It's always been her. Why? What is so special about this human? Why does she have this effect on me? What is she doing to me? I don't know. don't care. I just want her. I can't be separated from her. It wouldn't matter. She only allowed herself to be close to me because she was upset about Bill. She doesn't want me. Not really. I can't force her to want me. Yes I can... but I won't. No. I love her too much to do that. Wait. What? Shit. She can hear me. Please, let her have her shields up. Please. _He looked to his side and saw her just sitting there... no indication that she had any idea what he was thinking of. He had a mental sigh of relief before offering a small smile which she returned.

Sookie could barely maintain her calm expression. Inside, she was sure she'd explode from the overload of emotions that bombarded her. _Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh. My. God. He loves me? Really? He wants me. That's for damn sure. but love. I didn't even know he knew what that meant. Could he really love me? Why would he want to? I'm nothing to him. He doesn't know why. He just does. He thinks what happened in the shower was me rebounding from Bill. Wasn't it? No. It was something else. Something more. What is it about him? Could I ever love him? He's certainly made an effort... recently. And he's not bad to look at... _She turned her gaze back to Eric and her eyes trailed over his very well toned body. _Hmmm... I wouldn't mind waking up next to that every day..._ She blushed at her own thoughts, which made Eric look at her with curiosity in his eyes... which only made her blush more. She quickly shifted her eyes to her hands that were clasped in her lap.

"So," Hadley spoke up, "you're with a vampire, too? How weird is that?" She only meant to break the silence, as she could never stand the awkwardness. But Sookie was staring daggers at her, so she turned her eyes back to the floor and shut her mouth. _Cranky, much? Damn. Take a fucking Midol. She could be a little nicer to me. We're still family. Her vampire boyfriend looks awfully young. I heard the queen say he was two thousand years old, so I guess he's no amateur, but still. How does she sleep with someone who looks so much like a kid? Maybe she just doesn't think about it. I bet he's awfully mature. And he ain't exactly ugly. Then again, he ain't exactly that gorgeous Viking, either. Does he know that his human is out here eye-fucking his child? I don't know. Maybe that was something else. Sookie's always been so loyal. I doubt she'd even consider cheating. Especially not on someone who could kill her so easily. Maybe it was just my imagination. _She lifted her head to see that Sookie and Eric had relaxed a bit and seemed to be comfortable with each other. _Of course she'd be close to him. He's her master's child. I knew I was just imagining it. Oh... where's my queen? I miss her already. This morning... oh it was amazing. Easily the best sex ever, not that every time isn't amazing. When she-_

Sookie's eyes widened and she threw her shields back up. She had definitely heard enough. _Hadley's a lesbian? That's new. _Sookie couldn't say it surprised her though. Her cousin always had rotten luck with men. She let out a sigh and closed her eyes. She wanted to talk to Eric, but not with Hadley there. She'd just have to wait for the queen to leave. She didn't know what she wanted from him, but she was certainly willing to give it a shot. _Honestly, what's the worst that could happen? He could betray me like Bill? I've dealt with it once, I can do it again. _Sookie was determined. As soon as she was alone with him, she'd make her move.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, Godric, but it is well within your right to claim her as your own. Since she is your bonded, I offer my protection. Once she is back in my territory, I will have my sheriff watch over her." The queen's voice pierced the silence.

"I would very much appreciate that." Godric stepped over to Sookie's side and placed his hand on her shoulder before kneeling down to speak with her.

"My dearest Sookie, my child will be watching over you and protecting you when you return home. I am sorry if this upsets you in any way, but I just could not bear it if something were to happen to you. Eric is the only one I can trust with this task." He knew that she'd have absolutely no problem with her protector, but he had to put on a show for the queen and her consort. Surely, Sookie would understand.

"Of course, master," Sookie said sweetly, not missing a beat. "Thank you very much for thinking of me." She bowed her head and watched him stand.

The queen turned and made her way to the door. "Come, Hadley."

Hadley obediently rose to her feet and moved to her queen's side before turning to Sookie. "It was nice seeing you again. I missed you. You'll pass that along to Jason, too, right?"

"Yeah." Sookie felt a pang in her heart. This might be the last time she'd ever see her cousin. Now wasn't the time for petty arguments. She jumped to her feet and ran over to Hadley, pulling her in for a tight embrace. "I love you, okay? Just... be careful."

"I will."

The queen grabbed her consort's arm and began moving toward the door. "Eric, I want you back at your post before the week is over." She didn't even wait for a response. She opened the door and was gone in a second.


	10. Godric takes a walk

Godric stood and faced Eric and Sookie on the couch. He knew. From the moment he first saw them interact, he knew. A smile stretched across his face. "I am... _going for a walk_. I will be back just before sunrise. Don't get into too much trouble." With that, he turned and left.

It felt like they stared at each other for an hour, but it was probably only a few minutes. Neither of them had the guts to break the silence, but they both knew it had to be done. There were things they needed to talk about. Both of their minds were reeling with the words they wanted to say, yet the silence wore on.

Sookie had decided that she'd break the silence. She tried to collect her thoughts into a solid stream of words and opened her mouth to let them out, but before a sound could be made, Eric caught her face in his hands and pressed his lips to hers. She was so sure they were supposed to talk, but the second he kissed her, she forgot everything. They could always talk later.

She tugged at his shirt until he pulled away to allow her to lift it over his head. He wasn't nearly as patient as she was. Before she could even blink, her shirt was ripped from her body and tossed to the corner. She didn't have the time to scold him for destroying one of her favorites before his lips returned to hers. A soft moan escaped when she felt his fangs extend and scrape her bottom lip.

Eric stiffened when he tasted the blood droplets that formed from the small wound on her lip. He knew that he should've stopped, but he didn't. He couldn't quite place what made her taste so different. _What is that? She's different. Something more than human. Something wonderful. _He pulled away and looked at her with the question in his eyes.

Sookie had been informed of the sordid history between vampires and fairies. She knew that fae blood was like a drug to them. She knew that she should keep it to herself, but she just couldn't imagine Eric doing anything to hurt her - not now. She moved her eyes to meet his and spoke. "I'm part fairy. Godric... he told me after the bomb. I didn't know before, but it makes sense." She watched as his expression went from pensive to horrified.

"Sookie, did you tell anyone? Did you tell Bill? No one can know. Oh, Sookie. They'll take you away from me." _I'll never let them. Never let them touch you. I love you. You will never know another moment of pain. You are mine. Mine. They'll never get you. I'll protect you until the day I meet my final death. Always. Mine. _He clutched her close to his chest and silently prayed that she hadn't shared that with anyone.

"No. I haven't. Is it really that bad? I... I thought vampires like fairies... I thought you would..." Her voice trailed off and tears welled up in her eyes.

_She thinks I don't want her? Of all the things... _"Sookie. Sookie, stop crying." Eric reached out and lifted her chin. "Look at me." He was stunned for a brief moment when she obeyed and his eyes met hers. It was almost as if she could see right through him. "I want you. I do. I make no attempt to deny that. And knowing how you taste... what you are... you have no idea what that does to me. But vampires... we... fairies are very rare. If anyone were to find out... I just couldn't bear it if they tried to take you away from me." He shifted his eyes to the floor. It was very unlike him to be so open and honest - most especially with a human. But here he was, baring his soul to the one person in the world who could completely destroy him. He knew it. He loved her with every piece of his cold dead heart. And he simply could not go on if she chose to reject him.

_He loves me? Oh, God. He really does!_ Sookie threw her arms around him and kissed his lips. "You make me so deliriously happy! I don't know what I've done to deserve you, but it must've been wonderful. I love you, Eric. It's ridiculous how much I love you, but I do." She trailed kisses down his neck and nipped softly at his shoulder, enjoying his moan of approval.

Eric tightened his grip on Sookie's hips and lifted her up to straddle him. He had done a spectacular job of restraining himself so far, but the moment he felt her nails drag across his back, he lost it. Before she could gather the presence of mind to be shocked at the action, he had flipped her onto her back and ripped off her jeans in one swift movement. He swept his hands over the smooth skin of her stomach and smiled when he felt her muscles contract. She began squirming beneath him, completely oblivious to how dangerous it is to tease a vampire. Her legs wrapped around his waist and she pulled him closer.

"Yield to me, Sookie." Eric's eyes burned into hers and a chill ran down her spine.

_Damn. _She was suddenly very aware of how wet she was becoming. His passion-plagued voice struck her. She truly couldn't imagine being more turned on in her life. She knew she couldn't rip his clothes off like he did hers, but that didn't stop her from trying. She quickly removed his belt and her fingers went to work on the button of his jeans. As soon as she felt them give way, she desperately tugged them over his glorious ass and down his legs. She slid her fingers under the waistband of his briefs, but his hand caught hers.

"Say it," he commanded. "I need to hear you say it."

She whimpered impatiently and arched her back. "Yes, Eric. I will yield to you. Now, _please!_" She slipped her arm around his neck and pulled him close to her face.

He needed no more encouragement. He slipped out of his briefs and ripped her barely-there lace panties from her body and in the next moment had his fingers pumping into her. Her breathy moans made it near impossible for him to restrain himself, but he was determined. He felt her muscles contract around his fingers and he began moving his thumb in circles around her nub. His lips devoured hers and swallowed her screams as he brought her over the edge.

While she was still riding the aftershocks, he positioned himself at her entrance. He looked to her eyes to make sure this was what she wanted. He told himself that if she had changed her mind that he'd have the strength to pull away, but he honestly doubted it at this point. To his great pleasure and relief, she nodded.

As much as he wanted it fast and rough, he knew he had to take it slow. She had to adjust to his size. This was their first time together. Their first of many, he hoped. He gently pushed inside of her. Her back arched and her hips bucked up to meet his. It pleased him to no end, knowing that she was just as impatient as he was. He took it as a sign and began rhythmically thrusting into her, harder... faster... She never tried to stop him. She was whimpering and chanting his name; digging her nails into his back. He wanted to make it last - to please her, but with her moaning and grinding against him and contracting her muscles the way she did, he knew it wouldn't be long.

She felt her climax nearing, but she wanted to finish with him - together. She tried to gather all of her strength in order to form actual words. "Please, Eric?" She really, really hoped he understood her, because she just couldn't hold back any longer. Her breathing became even more erratic and her legs tightened around him, pulling him deeper.

He knew she was close. He moved his lips down to her neck and she tilted her head to the side. He slipped his fangs into the soft skin and her blood poured freely into his mouth. He greedily gulped it down and felt her walls spasm around him. His hands tightened on her hips and he pumped into her two more times before spilling his seed within her. He drew one last gulp before licking her wounds and pulling back. It was harder than he wanted to admit, but he couldn't risk taking too much.

He gently rolled off of her and to the side. He wrapped his arm around her waist and looked into her eyes. Before he could say a word, she pressed her lips to his.

"Thank you." Her words were barely more than a whisper.

Eric's eyes sparkled with amusement. "For?"

"Being unbelievably amazing." Somewhere in her mind, she knew better than to fuel his narcissism, but on this particular occasion, she felt it necessary.

His deep chuckle send a shiver down her spine. His smiled truly dazzled her.

"My love, it is I who should be thanking you. You've given me something I've never had; something I had no right to hope for. You've given me your heart. I've done nothing to deserve such a precious gift, but you gave it to me anyway. I give my word that I will spend all of my days proving to you that you have not made a mistake in choosing me." Eric's blue eyes pierced Sookie's very soul.

"Eric, my heart is yours and yours alone. _Always._ I already know I haven't made a mistake, but I'm not going to stop you if you truly want to spend eternity with me." A smile spread across her face and her eyes sparkled. "I love you, Eric. I do."

"As I love you." Eric knew he had never spoke truer words.

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**__** I am truly sorry it took so long to post this. I can't even begin to count the number of times I had to stop and giggle and blush. And I'm even sorrier for this bad news: **__www. dlisted. com/node/33777 **(Take out the spaces and your worst nightmare comes true.)**_


	11. Hell hath no fury

Godric began making his way back to the hotel. He took note of how severely he miscalculated the effect that the bond would have on him. _Perhaps it was the combination of the bond with my child and the bond with my human. _He thought on the subject as he absentmindedly counted of the subtle thuds of his footsteps. _Two hundred forty-six. Such a concentrated emotion. Surely it's not lust. No. It must be something more. Two hundred fifty-nine. Could it be possible? Eric prides himself on his distance from his human emotions. To love someone… it must be very difficult for him to accept. Two hundred sixty-seven. And Sookie. She seems so conflicted. Love. It is most certainly love. Two hundred seventy-two. This is going to be interesting._

He made his way into the elevator and tapped his foot impatiently as it inched ever-so-slowly toward it's goal: the twelfth floor. As soon as he heard the ding, he moved directly in front of the doors, determined to get to the room as soon as possible. He hadn't intended to stay out so late, but sunrise was only moments away, and he desperately needed to be in a secure room.

He made his way into the suite and was instantly bombarded with the scent of sex. A small crooked smile danced across his face. _Maybe now, Eric won't be so damn moody. _He glanced around and saw their door ajar. He moved to go check on them before he retired for the day. He peered inside and rage flamed up inside him.

Eric was chained to the bed with silver and Sookie was nowhere in sight. Only one person he knew would be stupid enough to hurt his child and steal his bonded. "Sophie-Anne." He spat her name out like a curse. He ran to the side of the bed and ripped the chains off of Eric's wrists and ankles, not noticing how they seared into his own skin.

Eric shot up like a bullet and turned to his maker. "I… I couldn't protect her. I'm so damn stupid. I didn't even hear them coming. I…" He hung his head in shame and let the crimson tears fall from his eyes onto the floor below. He only barely registered the hand that rested on his head.

Godric couldn't bear to see Eric this way. _The pain in his eyes… it is love. And now she is gone. Taken from him… I must get her back. He will not live like this. _He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small silver phone and began dialing. First, he called Isabel. She was his second in command and a very loyal friend. She answered on the first ring, perhaps already sensing that something was wrong.

"Isabel," he began, "Sophie-Anne has made a personal attack on me. She has harmed my child and stolen my bonded. I want you to call everyone who is loyal to me and I will call the king. I want everyone to be prepared to leave for Louisiana at sunset." He heard a small gasp. He didn't have to tell her what they were going to do. Even for a queen, there are rules. If she was in her own area, she'd be punished. But committing such a crime in another area… it was unforgivable. She would surely die for this.

"Yes, Godric." It was the only response he got before he hung up.

His fingers sped against the keypad again, this time dialing the king. He very calmly explained the situation to the monarch and was genuinely surprised when he got such a response. Not only did the king pledge to back him up one hundred percent, but he vowed to call the other kings and queens. Godric thanked his king and turned back to his child.

"Sleep now. We will get her back for you. I promise. But you must sleep. You will need your strength." He planted a small kiss on his child's head and turned to leave the room.

"Sophie-Anne… she won't hurt her, will she?" Eric could barely get the words out, but he needed this. He needed reassurance that his love would be safe, at least for the day.

"No. No. She needs her. She wouldn't risk it. Sleep now. We get her back tonight." With that, Godric left to return to his room.

He stretched out in the bed and thought about the upcoming attack on the queen of Louisiana. Everyone had a problem with Sophie-Anne. Now that they had an excuse, this would be the perfect time to take her out. Her and her creepy child, Andre. _Oh, yes. Andre._ Aside from Sophie-Anne, everyone who had ever met him hated him. He was disgusting and unsettling. Godric wasn't much for violence, but he knew he'd enjoy ripping that sniveling fool to shreds. A piece of him wanted to go after the queen, but that was Eric's mark. He knew that his child would want to be the one to take her down.

He let out a yawn and looked at the clock, not that he needed it to remind him that it was time to sleep. He hadn't been in a battle for so long. He'd forgotten how exciting it was, but for now, he'd take his own advice and sleep. He closed his eyes and let the morning carry his last, unnecessary breath away.

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**__** Sorry for the short chapter and the delay, but I'm back on my chapter-a-day plan now, so no more waiting. Yay! I'm sure you're all very excited. Actually, two chapters today. On account of this one being so damn short. And you know… the cliffhanger thing. And tonight!!! Season finale. I can't wait. Oh Maryann is going to DIE. And it's about damn time. Hopefully we'll see Eric come to Sookie's rescue and she'll come to her senses and realize that he's perfect for her and kick Bill's lame ass to the curb. Unlikely, but hey. A girl can dream.**_


	12. Blessed

Eric had carried Sookie to the bedroom and placed a kiss on her forehead. _Mine. My love. Everything. She is everything to me. So soft. Sweet. Perfect. Everything about her is amazing. I love her. I love her. I love her. Sookie. My sweet Sookie. _He looked down at his lover and smiled. _Finally. Mine. _In a thousand years, Eric knew that he had never truly been happy. Until now. Everything he ever wanted in a mate, she was. She was strong, smart, kind, and loving. He absentmindedly trailed his finger down her arm. She was so soft and smooth. Yes, he could see himself being with her for the rest of his life. She would provide the perfect balance in his world. She would keep him grounded. She was so lovely, all curled up on the bed. Her innocence was striking. Eric was sure that he was blessed to have found someone like her.

He tilted his head to the side, sensing someone in the corridor. He couldn't register the scent, even though it was quite familiar. In his life, he learned to always be on guard, so he made sure that Sookie was safely tucked away before slowly making his way to the door. The familiar scent grew stronger in parallel to his sense of danger. He reached his hand to the door and turned the knob slowly. As he pulled the door open, he took note of a small package sitting on the floor with a note addressed to Sookie. _It was just a hotel employee. _Eric dropped his guard and reached out to pick it up, only to have a net of silver tossed over his face. He fell to the floor in shock and looked up to see Andre standing above him. _Shit._

The younger vampire quickly tied silver around his wrists and ankles to stop the Viking from struggling. As soon as he was secured, Andre turned to call for the queen. Eric watched in horror as Sophie-Anne, Bill, and Andre stepped over him and into the suite. He turned to call out to Sookie, hopefully to wake her, but was rendered unconscious by a hard blow to his head.

The group made their way to the bedroom to find Sookie sleeping soundly.

"Should we wake her?" Andre was excited at the thought of watching her panic.

"No. Give her something to keep her asleep. I need her compliant. I don't want to have to deal with her. Not yet, anyway. And I certainly don't need Godric sensing her fear and rushing back he to save her." Sophie-Anne spoke with a look of disgust on her face. _I can't believe such a tiny insignificant human managed to tame the Viking. And to think, I used to have such respect for him. Pathetic._ She watched as Bill injected Sookie with a sedative and lifted her from the bed.

They began making their way out of the room and out of the suite. They had a plane ready and waiting to fly them back to Louisiana before sunrise. They stopped when they got back to the very large vampire crumpled on the floor.

A sick smile spread across the queen's face. "Take him to the bedroom. Set him up on the bed. Then take the net off of his face, but leave the silver on his wrists and ankles."

Bill raised his eyebrow and turned to face her. "You mean to leave him alive?" He couldn't hide the disappointment in his voice. He had truly been looking forward to staking the sheriff.

"No. Leave him for Godric." She turned and made her way out of the room. Bill followed closely behind, carrying Sookie in his arms. Andre stayed behind to follow the queen's orders.

---

Eric's eyelids fluttered. _No. NO! Where is she? _He turned his head to take in the room around him and learned that he was still restrained. He let out a loud roar in anger. _They took her. They have her and now I'll never get her back. I'm so fucking stupid. Why? I know better. What is wrong with me? I can't even protect the woman I love. I'm such a failure. She'll never forgive me. It wouldn't matter. I don't deserve her. Why wouldn't they just kill me? Why leave me here? I don't want to live without her. _

The tears began falling from his eyes as the panic fully set in. He knew Andre. He knew what he was like. And he shuddered to think of what he might be doing to Sookie. _No. She doesn't deserve this. Why her? Godric claimed her. Is Sophie-Anne really that desperate for a telepath? Is she really that stupid? _He already knew the answer to that. Of course she was. She was a spoiled bitch. She always had to have the very best. And she loved her toys. And that's what Sookie would be to her. A toy.

Eric's head snapped up as he heard the suite door open. _Godric. _He was back.

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**__** Short again, I know. But I just wanted to cover how Eric was taken down. Tomorrow, we get revenge. Mmmm tasty tasty revenge. Oh! And the finale? I've got twenty that says it was Lorena. And "Yes"??? Fucking really?? Sookie can't really marry him. He's such a butthole. And he's being all father-like and sweet to Jessica. And speak of the devil… Is she going to get in trouble for that trucker? Will Hoyt find out? Are they over? Seriously though, getting back to the original problem. I have this sick feeling that Alan's going to try to keep Bill and Sookie together. And that's just fucking wrong. I just don't know how I'm going to function waiting for the next season. I've got questions that need answers. ANSWERS, !!! ANSWERSSSSSSSSSS! Ok. I'm done with my rant. Have a nice night. Oh, and heads up. You almost didn't get an explaination, but **__Tvnut Loves Eric Northman** wanted one, so... enjoy.**_


	13. Pacing

For the first time in over a thousand years, Eric rose early because of his nerves. The thought of Sookie being at the mercy of the clinically insane queen and her equally psychotic child was just too much for him to bear. And, of course, he was also worried about how she would handle having to be around Bill. Especially after his brutal betrayal of her trust and love. No one should have to go through something like that. Sookie was a good-hearted woman. She gave so much of herself, and never expected anything in return. No. He would not let this crime go unpunished. He would take down Sophie-Anne if it was the last thing he did before leaving this world.

He tried to be patient, waiting for Godric and the others to wake, but he was already shaking with anger. He'd need to call Pam as soon as they landed. A part of him didn't want to involve his child, but this was Sookie. The one woman he'd ever loved. And if he was very honest with himself, if it came down to the two, he'd choose Sookie. He felt a pang in his unbeating heart at the thought of losing either of them, so he decided on a new thought path. Sophie-Anne.

Sure, they'd have all the help they needed to take her down, but they couldn't just rush in and take her out. She's selfish and petty. Eric knew damn well that if she felt cornered, she'd kill Sookie herself, just so that no one else could have her. No. They'd need a plan. He wanted to get Sookie out before anything happened. _How? She'd have her guards on alert for an attack. She must know that we're coming for her. She may not know how many, but she'll know there will be an attack. How can I get in and get Sookie out without being noticed? Hadley. Sookie's cousin. She's the queen's lover, but Sookie is her cousin. She must've told the queen about Sookie. That's ho_w the_ whole thing got started. Surely she wouldn't have thought of this outcome. No. She loves Sookie. She would see that she made a terrible mistake. She'd want to help. The look in her eyes when she said goodbye to Sookie. Yes, she still loves her. She'll be my in. But how will I contact her to ask for her help?_ Eric continued pacing, lost in his own thoughts. He alost didn't notice when Godric came into the room.

"Are you ready?"

Eric turned to his maker and nodded. "We need to contact Hadley. I think she'd help us get Sookie out. I want her to be safe before we go in. I want to know for sure that she will not be harmed."

"Yes, I thought of that as well. One of the queen's guards owes me a favor. I saved his child from being killed at a tribunal ten years ago. Surely, he has not forgotten. I will call him and ask him to pass a message on to Hadley. Perhaps he can help them escape the palace as well. We must get to the airport. The plane is ready for takeoff as soon as I give the signal. The others will meet us there. Many flew during the day." Godric began toward the door, his child following closely behind.

They flew to the airport, both too impatient for cars. Isabel and Stan were waiting, along with twenty other very excited vampires. Eric spared a look of deep gratitude for his maker. He knew that his love for Sookie was the driving force behind this takedown. And if anyone was hurt, he would feel the blame. Godric nodded to the flight attendant who sent word to the pilot. Before another minute could pass, they were off.

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_ _**Very short chapter, I know. But I sort of had an impromtu slumber party and I had to type this up with my girlie's crap-ass laptop. (Which is exremely annoying.) I'll be headed back to my house in just a few hours, so I'll post another chapter then. I'll also be posting the chapter after that early, on account of babysitting my nephew. No internet over there. After that, back to my grandmother's, but I'll be posting again daily, so it's still good. I might even start doing multiples out of withdrawl. I just don't know how I'm going to function without my show. Next season can't get here fast enough!**_


	14. A waiting game

The length of the fight was almost unbearable. Only a few hours, but it was nearly enough to drive Eric mad. As much as he'd love the freedom of being in full panic mode, he knew he had to keep it together. If anything so that he could deal with Jason, who had insisted on coming along on the rescue mission.

Sookie's brother meant well. Everyone there knew that. But his incessant worrying was starting to get annoying. Maybe if he kept it to himself, it wouldn't be a problem. But every few minutes, he'd jump up and ask _How much longer? _or _So, what's the plan?_ even after it was explained to him about twenty thousand times. He was still fuming about "that traitor Hadley" when they touched down.

"Listen, now." Godric's voice commanded the attention of everyone as they stood to make their exit. "I will make the call to get Sookie out of the palace. As soon as we get word that she is safe, then we attack. But. Not. Before. That. Does everyone understand?"

Everyone nodded. Eric turned to his maker. "I will call my child, Pam. I'd rather her not be in battle, but She's grown quite fond of Sookie. She can keep her safe."

Godric agreed with the plan and everyone headed off. Everyone had previously agreed that Fangtasia would be their temporary base of operations, so on the way there, Eric called to make sure it was cleared out for the night.

When they arrived at the club, Pam welcomed them and invited them to feed on the live donors. A piece of her was disappointed that she wouldn't get to be a part of the queen's takedown, but a bigger piece of her was grateful. Battles can be so messy and she really had no clothes for the occasion.

Godric made the call and gave the order to get Sookie out. Now it was a waiting game. At this point, everyone was on edge. Over the next hour, Pam welcomed four more large groups of vampires sent from other areas to help Godric. It was getting very crowded in the club. That many anxious vampires in one room was never a good idea and it was only a matter of time before they started turning on each other.

Ten minutes after welcoming the fifth group, there came a tiny knock at the front door. Eric stiffened and moved to open the door.

There stood Hadley just barely holding up a very bruised and broken Sookie.

Every vampire in the room grew silent. Not many had seen her, but everyone had heard of Godric's bonded telepath. They all knew that the queen had moved into another territory and taken her by force. And now they all saw just how insane Sophie-Anne really was.

Hadley passed her cousin off to the Viking and looked up to him with bloodshot eyes. "I didn't know. I was just… I told her about my family. I never thought… I didn't know about Bill or any of it until it was too late. When they brought her in… she… I couldn't stop her. I tried. I swear to God I tried." She collapsed on the floor and fresh tears began trailing down her cheeks.

Eric gently laid Sookie out on the bar. "Sookie? Can you hear me?"

A soft whimper was his only response. He bit into his wrist and held it to her mouth. She didn't need to be told to drink. She latched on and began drawing the warm sticky liquid down her throat. Maybe the pain was making her delusional, but she was sure that it was the best thing she'd ever tasted.

Jason had moved down to the floor to comfort his cousin, but everyone else's eyes were trained on the scene at the bar. They were all sure that they'd never shake the image of the poor broken human girl from their minds. Most had seen wars and executions and other horribly violent things, but this… this was senseless. There was no reason for the queen to brutalize this girl. And they all knew it.

And Eric. The big bad Viking. His reputation was well known. And now, he was cradling and caring for a human. It wasn't hard to connect the dots. But no one spoke it out loud.

Sookie reluctantly pulled away from Eric's wrist and looked up into his deep blue eyes. "Thank you." She raised her hand and cupped his cheek before laying her head back and closing her eyes. She let out a soft moan before falling into a much needed sleep.

It broke Eric's heart to leave her, but he knew this had to be finished. He had to bring Sophie-Anne down. He stood tall and nodded to Pam, who gently lifted her master's lover off of the bar and moved her to the couch in Eric's office. He then turned to Jason and Hadley. "Stay here."

Jason opened his mouth to protest, but Eric cut him off. "She needs you now. Just stay. Care for her until we return."

Jason nodded and walked with Hadley back to the office.

Godric moved to stand next to Eric and without looking back began toward the door. "Now."


	15. Thomas

Sophie-Anne was laying out in her day room, soaking up the artificial rays when she got the news. Save for her lovesick sheriff, there were precious few in her area who would dare to defy her. And she had made it her personal mission to destroy them. So when she learned that her "faithful" pet Hadley had made off with her new toy, to say that she was shocked would've been a gross understatement. In fact, the idea of Hadley actually growing some balls and standing up to her was unbelievable. She rose from her lounge chair and stormed off to the cell where she was keeping the telepath. Upon realizing that Sookie was actually gone, the queen let out an earth shattering scream.

She turned to the door to greet her guards who came running at the sound. She glared at them and demanded to know how a pet of hers, weakened by her excessive feedings, and her severely abused new telepath had managed to escape. Everyone denied any involvement, of course, but she knew that someone must've helped. Hadley just wasn't that smart.

At that point, Thomas (a guard that had been with her for over fifty years) made the worst possible mistake. His eyes briefly flicked to the floor and back to the queen. She was immediately in front of him with her hand wrapped around his throat. "Speak now."

"I… I don't know anything. I had nothing to do with it." As old as he was, he had never quite mastered lying. And it was obvious.

"I know you helped her. I don't care how. I want to know why. You must have a good reason to betray me."

The other guards bared their fangs. They all knew that whatever the queen was going to do to the traitor would be good. The anticipation ran through them like an electric current.

Thomas knew he was screwed. _It doesn't matter what I tell her. She'll kill me either way. Might as well go down for a good cause. _He stood up straight and stared her down. "It's done. Go ahead and kill me. Torture me. I won't tell you anything."

Sophie-Anne let out a maniacal laugh that unsettled everyone in the room. "Oh, that's sweet." She knew that torturing him would do no good. His mind was set. _No. Torturing won't get me anywhere. But why the hell not? It'll be entertaining until I get information elsewhere._ A disturbing grin spread across her face. "Bring him to the chair."

He didn't even bother fighting it. He knew it'd make it worse. He wasn't exactly looking forward to being tortured, but it'd be over soon enough. _Godric had better get here soon._ He rolled his eyes and sat down in the chair. The queen always got creative when it came to torture. He glanced over to see the tools she'd be using tonight. _Hm. All silver. How original. _He grunted as he was tied down with silver chains.

Sophie-Anne was always very hand-on when it came to torture. It was one of her favorite hobbies. She stood next to her table of instruments and pulled on her leather gloves. She glanced at the door where every guard she employed was watching. _I love a good audience. What should I start with first? _Her hand floated over the table lingering for a moment over a box of silver pins. _Good starting point. It's simple. And painful. I like it._

She slowly opened the box and pulled out a single pin. She looked Thomas up and down, trying to decide where to stick him first. She settled on his chest. To his credit, he didn't make a noise as she slid it in. _Smooth like butter. _She let out a soft chuckle as she was reminded of those little voodoo dolls that the humans were so fond of in her area.

Thomas couldn't stay quiet for long, though. By the tenth pin, he was scrunching his eyes shut and groaning in pain. Of course, the queen was dissatisfied by his lack of response, so she quickly grew bored with the pins and opted for a more painful approach. She picked up a small case on the side of the table. Thomas raised an eyebrow and groaned. He should've noticed that when he came in. The queen rarely used it, as she was usually content shoving silver into her victims. He knew right away that he should've played up the pain.

She lifted the blowtorch from the case and turned it on. _Oh, I've missed this. It's been so long… _She was fond of starting from the feet up, but she decided on fingers this time. She knelt down in from of the younger vampire and began inching the flame closer to his hand.

The sick smell of burnt flesh and his bloodcurdling screams permeated the room. Her smile widened as she watched his skin darken and crack. She moved the flame away to watch his blood trickle down his fingertips and fall to the floor. She reached out and ran her finger over his to collect some of the crimson liquid seeping out. She slowly brought her finger to her mouth.

Thomas watched in disgust as her soft pink tongue darted out from between her lips and licked the blood from her finger.

"Mmm… you taste wonderful!" Her eyes sparked.

_She really is psychotic. _He leaned forward and spat in Sophie-Anne's face. "Fuck. You."

She raised her hand and brought it down hard on his cheek. The burning pain in his face served a wonderful purpose to distract him from the pain in his hand. He was healing much slower now, due to the excessive damage, and the fact that he hadn't fed in a while. And he was grateful for any chance he got to forget the pain, even for a short time.

"You have balls, Thomas." She wiped her face with the back of her hand and sneered. "I can fix that little problem, you know."

His eyes widened and he instantly regretted provoking her. Mercifully, that happened to be the exact moment that Godric arrived.

A loud thump from upstairs got the queen's attention. She could tell by the look on her traitorous guard's face that this was what he was expecting. As much as she'd love to continue, she knew that her attentions were needed elsewhere. She rose from her knees and moved to the door. As she exited, she turned to the largest guard she employed. "No one goes in or out of this room."

She didn't wait for a response as she turned and sped down the corridor that led to the main part of the palace, beckoning for the others to follow.

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**__** More violence later. I pinky swear.**_


	16. They don't know

Godric turned to his right, just in time to watch the guards freeze in fear. Sure, they guess that Godric and a few of his underlings would show up. And even Eric. But not one of them imagined that they would be joined by a small army.

The queen quickly made her way to the front of her little group of guards and took in the scene before her. "You're all here for what? To destroy me?" She chuckled. "Unlikely. I am the queen of this territory. And you'd do well to remember that. You can't touch me."

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong." Godric spoke up and moved in towards the queen. "No one likes you Sophie-Anne. None of the other royals. They've all sent soldiers to help. You're finished." For the first time in a very, very long time, Eric saw a truly terrifying grin spread across his maker's face.

---

Sookie shot up. She looked around and saw that she was in some sort of office area. She had been sleeping on a black leather couch. She quickly rose from where she was laying and made her way out the door and ran into Pam.

"Sookie? Sookie, what are you doing awake?" Pam made absolutely no attempt to hide her concern.

"We have to go. We can't let them just walk in there. It's a trap. Oh, God. Please. I have to warn them. Please, Pam. Take me to them. Now!" Sookie's voice shot up an octave as the panic started to set in.

Pam placed her hands on Sookie's shoulders and smiled. "Don't worry. They have plenty of help. Now." Her smile turned into a tight line and she looked worried. "We need to talk, ok? Just... sit down." She looked very uncomfortable, which was rare. Sookie hadn't known her for very long, but she knew her enough to figure that whatever was making Pam uncomfortable was really bad.

Sookie slowly made her way back to the couch and sat down. She lifted her eyes to meet Pam's.

"First things first," Pam began. "How are you feeling?"

"What the hell, Pam? I feel fine. Now seriously. I don't care how much help they have, we need to get over there. It's nice to know that they have help, but I won't just sit here waiting around while the people I love are fighting to protect me. I have to do something. You know that." With that, Sookie stood and walked to the door. "Please, come with me."

Pam looked very disturbed, but nodded her head. "I have to tell you something." Pam looked to the floor. "Eric and Godric... they don't know. They left right after Eric gave you his blood. They didn't know it would... Sookie. He gave you a lot of his blood."

"Uh, yeah. I guessed as much. Can we talk about this on the way?" Sookie was obviously growing annoyed.

"His blood did something to you," Pam blurted out. "You should... I think you should look in the mirror before you go."

---

Eric tore his eyes away from his maker and focused on the queen. "You are, without a doubt, the most stupid person I've ever met." Sophie-Anne stiffened at his words, but he didn't stop. "First, you send that idiot to procure a telepath for you - not even considering for a second that if you asked her nicely, she probably would've gone with you willingly. Then, when Bill failed you, you entered another territory and stole her away from her bonded. And even now, you don't even seem phased. Do you know what you've done? Are you stupid or suicidal?"

The queen let out a sigh. "Oh, you poor little thing. She's bewitched you. You think you're in love with her. And it's really quite sweet. But I know something you don't know. She's not just a telepath." A grin spread across her face. "After I kill you, I _will_ take her back. And I _will_ make her mine. I'll be sure to let her know that any punishment she gets will be courtesy of your petulance."

Eric lunged at her and threw her to the ground. That was the cue that everyone was waiting for.


	17. Enhanced

_Shit. look at her. She's going to have a heart attack and die and Eric will kill me. _Pam watched as Sookie shut down. "Listen, it's not that bad... just... maybe you could wear contacts and... I'll help you dye your hair back and... well, maybe you can turn off the glowy thing."

"TURN IT OFF? WHAT THE FUCK, PAM? I can't turn it off. I don't even know what _it _is. And My eyes. Oh, God! This is horrible. I can't believe this is happening to me. The stress of it all has turned me prematurely gray. Do you see this shit?"

Pam wasn't even listening anymore. All she noticed was the fact that the angry Sookie got, the more her eyes glowed. And how delicious she smelled. Pam began leaning toward her and inhaling her sweet almost-intoxicating scent.

"Oh for the love of God, Pam. You can smell me later. I don't have time for this shit. Let's go." Sookie's hand shot out to grab Pam's and, before she could even take the first step, they were standing outside a very lovely palace-like house. Sookie's eyes widened in fear and curiosity. "Uh..."

"I think... you just teleported." Pam sounded just as confused and turned to look at Sookie.

"Whatever." Sookie shook her head as if wishing whatever thoughts were in there out. "Is this the queen's house?"

Before Pam could answer, Sounds of battle began emanating form the doorway ahead.

"I'll take that as a yes." Sookie began toward the noise.

_She's taking this remarkably well. _Pam froze when Sookie whirled around to glare at her.

"I am simply putting it in a box to deal with later, as I have other shit to do right now. Do not make the mistake of assuming this is over." Sookie grabbed Pam's arm and started back toward the door. "Now, let's go."

_This girl is lucky that I love her. If anyone else grabbed me like this, I'd rip their fucking arm off. _Pam rolled her eyes and followed Sookie's lead only to be jerked to a halt. _Oh, what the hell?_

"You love me?" Sookie was honestly shocked. She considered Pam a friend, but that was kind of pushing it.

"You're stopping for this?" Pam was honestly more confused about this than the teleportation thing.

_Wait. Love. They all loved me. They were all so worried._ "Pam! I don't remember much, but when I got to the bar... all the other vampires... they were all thinking how much they were worried about me. Some were even thinking they loved me. I didn't even know them. What's going on?" Sookie felt as if she was on the verge of some great revelation.

"Oh, yeah. I forgot about that." The corners of Pam's lips tugged up into a small smile. "You can make people love you. I think it's a fairy thing. I haven't known very many. It's like glamouring. _Empathic._ That's the word. And you're always so sweet and full of love, so I guess it just kind of rubs off."

"... Cool." _That could be useful._ Sookie thought about her new... _ability_ for a short moment before remembering what she was there for. "Right. Let's go."

Finally, they made their way inside. And the what they saw before them could only be described as a massacre.

_Jesus. _Sookie took in the horribly disgusting scene in front of her, noting that many of the vampires had been reduced to large blobs of blood and goo. "Oh, this is just sick." She looked out over the bodies/puddles of icky grossness to see if she could spot her lover. As soon as she saw him, her heart sped up to twice it's normal speed. Her beautiful Viking had the queen by the throat. Sookie wouldn't normally condone violence, but that woman had beaten her and tortured her for hours. She really didn't care what happened to her now. All she cared about was the fact that her beloved was safe.

Pam smirked at Sookie's outburst, but groaned when she saw that there was no one left for her. She looked around the room, noting that none of their allies were missing. _Flawless victory._ Pam let out a little chuckle, before turning back to Sookie, who seemed to be itching to run over to Eric. "Go on."

Sookie grinned from ear to ear as she ran toward her lover, passing dozens of friendly faces along the way. "Eric!"

He tied Sophie-Anne with her silver chains and turned to greet Sookie. Eric's eyes widened as he took in her _enhanced_ appearance. "Oh, Sookie. What is this?"

"I don't know. I woke up like this. Pam thinks it's all the blood you gave me, but I don't know. I can teleport, too. That part was weird." Sookie felt like she was speaking a million words a minute, but she abruptly stopped the moment she saw a smile spreading across his face.

"You look beautiful." Eric reached out to stroke her face, but paused when he realized his hand was bloody. It was obvious, though, that Sookie didn't care, because she grabbed him and pulled his face in close to hers and roughly pressed her lips to his. He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her off the ground and pulled her body closer to his. _I could kiss her forever. Her lips are so soft... so soft. I love her. I love her. I love her. _He felt her lips pull up into a smile, but they kept kissing.

The queen's eyes were bugging out of her head at Sookie's appearance. "Fairy!"

Eric pulled away from Sookie and instantly noticed how the room had gone deathly quiet.


	18. Stages of grief

In that instant, everyone knew. It clicked in their minds why they were so drawn to a human stranger. She made them feel. And the thought that anyone, especially a human, had that kind of control over them was unsettling. But she wasn't human. She was a fairy. And that explained everything. Fairies were always the best tasting. And her smell was a dead giveaway. And the revelation had killed the high they were riding after the great killing spree. Every vampire in the room began circling Eric and his mate.

A chill ran down Sookie's spine. She knew what was happening. And she was perfectly powerless to stop it. She looked up to Eric, smiled, and whispered in his ear. "I'll be at the club." She lightly pressed her lips to his and then disappeared.

Eric stared, gaping, at the space where his lover _used to be._ She told him she could teleport, but hearing about it and seeing it were two very different things. Normally, he would've scolded her for such a display in front of so many vampires, but it was clear that it was her only choice if she wanted to get out of this room alive.

He turned to his allies who wore mixed expressions of shock and intrigue. "Now that you've all manage to scare Sookie away, can we possibly get back to the matter at hand?" The vampires were apologetic. They resumed their previous places and watched as Eric sat the restrained queen on her ridiculously gaudy throne.

"You are _not _doing this!" The queen shouted at the top of her lungs, but no one even flinched.

_Denial. _Godric came around the corner, dragged a bound Andre across the floor, leaving behind a trail of blood. Sophie-Anne whimpered at the sight of her beloved child in such pain.

Her threats were barely registered as Godric lifted the queen's disgusting child and placed him on a chair opposite her. "You took my bonded away from me."

He ripped Andre's right hand clean off of his arm. The younger vampire roared in pain and the queen truly looked frightened. She didn't care about much in her life, but Andre was her child - her favorite. To see him in pain, broke whatever semblance of a heart she had. Her crimson tears welled up and threatened to spill over.

Godric continued. "You took her and you beat her." Andre's left hand went flying.

The queen tried to lunge forward, but Eric held her firmly in place. "Stop this. Stop this now! Do you have any idea what you're doing? You cannot simply walk away from this. I AM THE QUEEN!"

_Anger. _Godric smirked as he took a dagger and dug it into Andre's chest and dragged it down to his pelvic bone. _He's lost so much blood already. He cannot heal himself. Won't be long now._ His smirk turned into a full smile. He watched his victim's entrails spilled out.

She shrieked at the sight of her beloved child being massacred before her eyes. "Do you want money? Power? I can give you that. Just release him." Sophie-Anne was openly crying now. She couldn't bear to see her child like that. And the idea of so many gathering to betray her was unfathomable.

_Bargaining. _His arms became a blur, dismembering Andre and tossing each piece directly at the queen.

Eric was stunned. His maker hadn't spent a lot of time being vicious, but he sure as hell knew how to do it right.

Finally, everyone turned their attention to the queen. Sophie-Anne's body was wracked with sobs. Eric rolled his eyes remembering how she had thought him pathetic.

_Depression. _Godric began moving toward the queen. He stopped in front of her and knelt down. "As much as I would love to rip you apart as well, you are Eric's." He rose and took Eric's position behind the queen and gripped her shoulders, holding her in place for his child to do his worst.

Eric made his way over to the chair that Andre had been confined to in his last moments. He swept the blood and bits left on the chair and dragged it across the floor to a spot only inches from the queen and sat down. He leaned in closely.

"It hurts, doesn't it? Losing someone you love. Being powerless to stop it." He sighed. "What you're feeling now isn't even a fraction of what I felt when you took Sookie. You can think me pathetic all you want, but I love her."

"You don't love her." The queen spat the words at him. "She's a fairy. She has that effect on everyone."

Eric's face lit up with a knowing smile. "She'd only have that effect as long as she's in the room. I love her now, even when she is not present. I love her always." His eyes sparkled. He had never admitted it in front of anyone but her.

"God, you really are pathetic." The queen had obviously given up on trying to get away and was now trying to provoke him so that her death would be quick.

"You truly think me pathetic? I've won the affections of a fairy. She yields to _me_. I know well that anyone in this room would give anything to have such a woman. But I have her. She loves me. And I love her. And if that makes me pathetic, then so be it." Eric was just repeating himself at this point, something he hated to do.

He knew that the queen was trying to provoke him and he was determined not to let her off so easily. "Now..." He reached out his hand to Thomas and was handed a small case. "I hear that this is one of your favorite toys."


	19. Acceptance

Sookie shivered involuntarily. Teleportation was cool, but it was jarring. She walked over to one of the booths and sat down. _What happened to me? Maybe Eric was just trying to be nice. What if he hates it? Will he just toss me aside? God, I just want him to love me. And now I look like a freak._ She stood up and walked to the employees' bathroom.

When she turned to face the mirror, the tears welled up in her eyes. Her once perfectly tanned skin had turned porcelain white. Her golden hair now had a silver sheen to it. And her big brown eyes had lightened to an almost honey gold. _I can't believe this. I don't even look like me._ She couldn't bear to look at herself any longer, so she ran down the hallway to Eric's office and curled up in a ball on his soft leather couch.

---

It was getting closer and closer to sunrise and Eric knew that he wouldn't have the time that he wouldn't be able to spend as much time as he wanted on the queen. Thomas had mentioned restraining her and picking up the next night, but the sheriff was desperate to get back to his lover.

He lifted the blow torch out of the case. "You know, I thought about starting with this, but I've changed my mind." He turned to Thomas. "Find me a sledge hammer."

The queen was staring daggers at Eric. She was determined not to let him hear her scream. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction. And he knew her plan. It didn't bother him so much. It didn't really matter whether she screamed or not. He knew he'd hurt her. He knew she'd be screaming on the inside. And that was enough.

He proceeded to torture her in various ways. First, he started with the simple crushing of her kneecaps with the hammer. He very much enjoyed the sickening crunch as the hammer collided with her bones. Then, he grabbed the piers. He got a good grip on her fingernails and began slowly pulling them out. When he looked at her face to take in her expression, he decided to pull out her fangs for good measure. After that, he used a tree branch to whip the bottom of her feet. Since she was healing much slower, due to the many injuries, something that would've been insignificant quickly became unbearable. The _cherry on top _was the blow torch. He spent a fairly significant amount of time burning lovely patterns into her arms and legs. Of course, it was getting late. And her promise to herself not to scream was long broken.

Eric decided that he was finally finished with the queen. He picked up a stake that had been dropped during the earlier battle and slowly pushed it into her chest.

---

Sookie jolted awake from the feeling of Pam's cold hand on her shoulder. She hadn't even remembered falling asleep. She looked up at her..._ what? Is she like... my step-child now? No. That sounds wrong. Friend. I'll go with that. Less awkward._ She looked up at her _friend_ and sighed. It was very heavily implied in the sigh that she didn't want to talk, but Pam was great at pretending she didn't notice things like that.

Pam looked down at the crumpled mess that was her master's lover. "You look horrible."

_Oh, what the hell?_ "Gee, thanks Pam. You sure know how to cheer a girl up." Sookie sighed again. "What do you want?"

"My master will be returning soon. You should get cleaned up." Pam sat a Fangtasia t-shirt and thong on the couch beside Sookie. "You can shower in there." She motioned to a door that lead to Eric's private bathroom. "And put these on... unless... you probably won't be wearing anything to bed tonight." A smirk planted itself on Pam's face.

Sookie groaned and snatched up the clothes. She stood up too quickly and would've fallen if it weren't for Pam's unnatural reflexes. She mumbled a thanks and moved into the bathroom.

_What the hell?_ As soon as she opened the door, her jaw dropped. _What kind of person has a bathroom like this? This is bigger than my bedroom at home. Why would he have a bathtub that's big enough to fit ten people in it? Wait. Dumb question. Well... now I know there's plenty of room for us to take a bath together. There's plenty of room for us to do a lot of things in there... _Sookie blushed at where her thoughts were headed. She opened the door to the shower and was shocked again - three shower heads, places for her to sit down, and of course, it was fully stocked with his and hers soaps and scrubs and shampoos and conditioners. _Unbelievable._

She reached in to turn on the water. While she was waiting for the water to heat up, she began undressing. After removing each article of clothing, she checked herself for remnants of the extensive torture she had endured when she was being held captive. But Eric's blood had healed everything. _Not even a bruise._ She smiled at the fact that his blood was now coursing through her. She shook her head and stepped into the shower.

---

The vampires were preparing to leave when Thomas spoke up.

"So... now that Sophie-Anne is gone... who exactly is going to be taking her place?"

Everyone paused and looked around. To be honest, no one had even considered it. Now that it was an issue, each vampire believe their ruler should take over. It didn't take long for a shouting match to arise.

Thomas regretted ever bringing it up. "ENOUGH! Eric killed her. He should take over.

Eric had absolutely no intention of doing so. He wanted to end the confrontation as soon as possible. "We will discuss it tomorrow. For now, we sleep."

Everyone was still very excited about the concept of a new territory opening up for takeover, but they all agreed that it could be dealt with at a later time. On that note, everyone turned and left to head to the hotel they had made reservations at before the flight.

After everyone was gone, Eric let out a sigh of relief. "I honestly didn't expect her to go down so easily." Thomas and Godric both nodded as they made their way out. "Godric, perhaps you should take the throne. There are none... left... who would challenge you."

Thomas, of course, had something to add. "I'm sure the other royals wouldn't argue. This was your whole thing anyway."

Godric simply nodded. "Perhaps."

---

The shower had been amazing. Sookie felt wonderfully refreshed. She had slipped on the shirt and thong and wrapped her hair up in a perfectly soft towel before going back out to the office. She inhaled deeply and realized, for the first time, how much the office smelled of Eric. _Of course, it would. It's his office._ The corners of her mouth had automatically crept up into a smile.

She decided that she would go make herself a drink and wait for Eric's return. She padded out to the bar and stopped dead in her tracks. "Bill? WHAT THE HELL? LET HER GO!"

She had walked in to see Bill crouching over Pam with a stake in his hand. She had been tied down with silver chains.

When Pam heard Sookie scream, her heart sank. "Sookie, run!" In her heart, she knew the girl didn't have a chance, but she'd never tell her that. She should at least try.

"Nuh uh. I am _not_ leaving you here." She was actually surprised that Pam thought that she would run. "Bill, whatever you want, I'll give it to you. Just let her go."

"Of course. Always so self-sacrificing. Really, Sookie, it's getting old." Bill scoffed at her pleas. "All I want is for you to come with me. I'll leave her here and Eric can let her out when he gets back. But you must come with me right away."

Sookie nodded. "Sure. Okay. I'll go with you." She winced. "Just... just let her go."

"Sookie, do _not_ go with him." Pam was writhing against her restraints to no avail.

"Pam, I'll be okay." Sookie walked over to Bill, who had pulled a rope from a duffel bag.

"I'm going to tie you up so that you don't run." Bill had a creepy sneer on his face that severely disturbed Sookie... more than the situation itself.

She nodded and turned, clasping her hands behind her back. She noticed Pam's fear-stricken features as she felt the burn of the rope on her wrists. _I don't understand why he has to tie me up. It's not like I could get away anyway._

Bill finished tying the knots and leaned forward to whisper in Sookie's ear. "Now, say goodbye."

Sookie's forehead crinkled as she tried to listen in to his thoughts. _NO!_ As soon as she heard it, it was too late. Bill slammed a stake right through Pam's heart.

Sookie's eyes widened in horror and tears began burning her cheeks.

---

As soon as Eric touched down in the parking lot of the bar, he felt it. A horrible pain went crashing through every fiber of his being. He fell to his knees and hung his head. _Pam._ He knew. The instant it happened, he knew. He felt it when they were flying and tried to shrug it off. But now, there was no denying it. He could smell it.

Godric and Thomas rushed inside and saw her remains. They exchanged a look before the olver vampire stiffened and sniffed at the air.

_Bill._ Godric rushed back to his child's side and knelt down. "It was Bill. He killed your child and took Sookie."

Eric's head snapped up.


	20. Patience is a virtue

Sookie was screaming obscenities in Bill's ear for the first fifteen minutes of the drive. He seriously considered knocking her unconscious, but he didn't want to hurt her... not yet, anyway. The sun was going to rise any minute and he knew he was in the clear. The sheriff and his maker would just have to wait until the next night.

She had been trying to keep track of where he was headed, but it was hard to notice turns and street names in between sobbing and screaming. By the time Bill reached his destination, her throat was raw. She was worn out from the night and her eyelids were heavy, but she was determined not to sleep. She was already formulating and escape plan for when he had to sleep.

He grabbed her out of the passenger seat and dragged her into the house. She had stopped screaming a few minutes before, due to her sore throat, but as soon as she saw where she would be kept, she started up again. He threw her into the cage and chained her to the bars. He made it very clear that he had zero patience for her attempts to struggle. When he was satisfied that she wouldn't be getting away, Bill stepped out of the cage, locked the door, and went off to sleep.

Sookie wasn't stupid. She knew that there was absolutely no way she'd be getting out unless he let her out, so she gave up and drifted off to a very uncomfortable sleep.

---

Eric was adamant that they leave right away, but Godric explained that there was no time. He knew his maker was right, but he simply didn't care. He had lost his child and his lover in one night and to say he was devastated was a vast understatement. And at that particular moment, sunrise wasn't even a passing thought in his mind. All he knew is that he would tear the world apart to get Sookie back.

He tried to reason with Godric. "I can use a travel coffin. A human could -"

"No. You need your rest. This will be much more difficult than Sophie-Anne. Bill knows we're coming for him. He knows we'll stop at nothing. And he's going to be prepared. You need to sleep and feed. When we wake, we will find a way to her." Godric's heart broke for his child, who was shaking his head vehemently at the suggestion of waiting. "Eric. Bill will be sleeping, too. Sookie will be safe during the day. Go to sleep. I promise, we'll get her back."

Eric knew better than to argue with his maker. And he did have a point. _Sookie will be safe for the day._ He stood up and half-glared at Godric. He very much loved him, but in that moment, he very strongly disliked him. He turned and headed down the stairs to the basement of the bar, were he kept a spare coffin on nights that he stayed.

---

Sookie tossed and turned (as much as was possible). The strangest images were plaguing her dream world and she just couldn't seem to shake them. A bright white light soon blanketed everything - so bright that she was sure she was having a light shone in her face to wake her... until a very well dressed man walked out of the light toward her. He walked very slowly, as if he had all the time in the world. To be honest, it pissed Sookie off.

Everything about him screamed not human - the way he walked, the way his eyes sparked.

_Like mine. They sparkle like mine. And he glows. What is he? What am I?_ Sookie stiffened as he came to stand in front of her. She wasn't sure if she needed to be cautious or not, but she wasn't going to take any chances.

"Do you know who I am?" His voice was so oddly comforting. Sookie instantly relaxed and smiled.

_So familiar... _"I... I think I do... but I don't... remember." She tilted her head and tried to recall where she had seen him before.

"I am Niall. I... _knew_ your grandmother." The way he said it clearly meant he more than _knew_ her Gran, but Sookie let it go.

_Of course! The pictures with Gran. She never put them up though. Always hidden in a box in her room. Why would she not put them up? _She was so consumed with the tiny mystery of her Gran hiding the pictures away that she almost forgot he was standing there.

"Have we met before?" Sookie was sure she would've remembered meeting the man, but she asked anyway.

The man turned his head to the side as if he was listening for something. Then, he got an odd look on his face, almost pained. "You must remember to live, child." And with that, he disappeared. Leaving her there in the dark nothingness of her in-between dream world.

_What an odd thing to say..._

Before she had anymore time to think about it, Sookie awoke violently to a sudden sharp pain in her side. Her eyes shot open and she cried out. She frantically looked for what caused the pain, only to find Bill standing above her with what looked to be a cattle prod.

"Good. You're awake." Bill sneered at the girl that he had captured.

She adjusted herself and winced at how locked her bones were. She groaned and tried to take in her surroundings - looking for any clue as to where the hell she was. As soon as she tilted her head back, she got a better look at Bill and shuddered. _This can't end well._

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**** Short, I know, but there's a lot to cover in the next chapter and I figured this would be the best stopping point. **


	21. Nightmare

Eric rose early and was pacing around his sleeping quarters in the club, waiting for the sun to go down. He considered going upstairs to deal with Pam's remains, but just couldn't bring himself to do it. He refused to deal with the loss of his child at the moment. He could do nothing for her, but he could still save Sookie.

_He must have had help. He couldn't hold her during the day, not without someone watching. But what kind of supe would help him? What is it that is guarding my Sookie?_ He knew that he would have to prepare for something big. Bill would've known what happened with the queen. And he would've taken precautions not to meet the same fate. Of course, it didn't matter how many precautions he had taken; Eric would fight to the death if that's what it took to release his lover.

As soon as he felt the release of the sun, he sped up stairs to find Godric and Thomas waiting.

"He'll have protection. Guards. While it is not likely that it is extensive as it was at the palace, it is certain that it will be difficult." Godric was musing out loud. "I believe we should approach with caution. I do not wish for any more... casualties." He cast a fleeing glance at his child before continuing. "We have absolutely no way of knowing what awaits us. I believe the only answer is to be prepared for the worst." He stiffened and his voice changed. "Gather as many weapons as you can carry. We will depart in three minutes time."

Eric turned to head back downstairs when he felt it. A sharp pain ripping through his chest. Tearing every piece of him apart. He could feel Sookie's fear and worse - her pain.

---

Sookie felt the tears well up in her eyes. Bill stood before her... naked. He had never been the type to walk around without clothes on... unless he had just had sex or was just about to. She didn't see anyone else there, so she gathered her future wasn't looking so bright. She could always hope, but considering what she'd seen of Bill lately, hoping seemed rather pathetic and useless. She flashed back to when she was being kept in the basement at the Fellowship of the Sun and cringed.

Sookie had been so busy shaking and being terrified that she didn't hear her approaching. When she saw her, her jaw dropped. "Lorena?"

Bill turned to face his maker and welcomed her with what looked to be a very passionate kiss.

"Wha? I thought you hated her." Sookie knew she shouldn't be surprised. With Bill's betrayal, what's one more little lie? But hear heart ached at the thought of him lying about something so trivial. Not only the lie, but also the elaboration. It was so unnecessary and unsettling.

Bill turned back around to face his prisoner. "Honestly, Sookie. You may be the dumbest person I've ever known. And the most fickle. Really. Bedding two men in a week's time? What would your dear sweet Gran say?"

That was a low blow. Lorena threw back her head and let out a maniacal cackle that chilled Sookie to the bone.

_Do not let them see you cry. DO NOT LET THEM SEE YOU CRY. Don't show them anything. No matter what they do, don't let them see that they can hurt you. _Sookie was coaching herself mentally to keep her sanity. She knew that they were going to hurt her, probably kill her, whether she screamed or not. But she was determined not to give them the satisfaction.

Lorena crouched down in front of the cage with the cattle prod and poked at Sookie a few times, enjoying the pain flashing across her face. "Oh, Bill. Can I go first?"

"You can have your fun soon, love. But I have an idea." He leered at Sookie. "Did you miss me, Sookie? Did you think of me when you were with the Northman? I bet you did. You know, you'll always think of me. Whether you want to or not, for the rest of your life, you'll compare every man who beds you to _me_."

Her heart raced and a chill ran down her spine, but she didn't cry. Instead, she chose that moment to send love through the bond. If she was going to die tonight, at least Eric would know she loved him.

---

They were on their way when he felt her. It filled him up and warmed his heart - so much so that he didn't realized anything was wrong... at first. But then it struck him. This as the first time she'd intentionally sent something through their bond. He knew she was awake. And afraid. And in pain.

_No._ "SHE'S DYING! The bastard's going to kill her." Eric sensed that she believed that she would die and that was her reason for sending love. To make him feel better.

He had to tell her to hold on. He just couldn't bear to lose her too. He gathered everything in him - love, warmth, and happiness; also, desperation, hope, and reassurance. He pushed it all through the bond with every bit of energy in him. And then he did something that he hadn't done in almost a thousand years. He prayed.

He prayed that she would understand. He prayed that she would hold on just a bit longer. He prayed that he would get to see her again.

His prayers were interrupted when he felt more pain and fear. He could feel that she was trying to hold it in so that he wouldn't feel it through the bond. But all she could do wouldn't stop a little from seeping through.

He could feel her more clearly and knew that they were close. He stiffened as they pulled up in front of an old plantation-style home. From what he could sense, there were no guards outside. And there were only two vampires inside. Two vampires and Sookie. And something else... _a human_. A human that was very near death.

He was thrilled at that revelation and moved closer. And then he smelled her blood. _So much blood._ He realized that he could barely hear her heartbeat. And he could barely feel her through the bond. She was dying.

He rushed toward the house, barely registering the two vampires following behind him. After far too long he reached the porch and flung open the doors, only to find that he couldn't enter. His eyes widened and he realized why Bill didn't have anyone guarding. He didn't need them.

"It's not his house. The human... I cannot enter." He felt the rage wash over him. He let out a roar that nearly leveled the house. "BILL COMPTON!"

Bill rounded the corner and smiled. "Oh, how nice of you to drop by." He turned his head to the side and called out, "Lorena, we have guests," before turning back to face the three fuming vampires.

To Eric's great horror, Lorena came around the corner pushing a naked, bloodied, beaten, and chained up Sookie.

"Sookie! What have they done to you?" Eric's heart dropped when she didn't even stir. "Sookie!"

"Oh, she can't hear you. She's not long for this world. But we're both so pleased that you came to see her off." Lorena's psychotic smirk helped to rub it in.

"Let her go. I offer my life for hers. Just let her go." Eric had never begged anyone for anything and never thought he would, but he knew that he would do absolutely anything if it meant that she would live.

"Nice try, Viking. But I think we'll stick with her. Oh!" She tilted her head a fraction and listened. "Hear that? It's not long now." Lorena went to stand behind Sookie and snatch a whip from the floor. "You know what bothers me? You weren't here for the fun part. But that's alright. I'm sure we can have a little more. I'd hate for you to miss out completely." She raised her arm and the whip crashed against Sookie's back, startling her back to consciousness.

She let out a strangled gasp as her eyes popped open. "Eric?" Her voice was fragile and cracked. "Oh, Eric. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have believe him. He promised he would let her go if I went with him. I didn't know. God, I'm so sorry." The hot tears stung her cheeks and she realized that she had broken her vow not to let Bill and his psycho maker see her cry, but she really didn't care. Sookie was just happy she got to see Eric one last time.

He looked in her eyes and felt his own tears falling. "Shh, my love. Shh. You have nothing to be sorry for. I love you. I-" Eric's words were cut off when he fell over the threshold.


	22. I'm not mad

Bill and Lorena wore identical looks of shock and horror. A split second after Eric fell through, Godric and Thomas were tackling the two vampires who were foolish enough to take Sookie. Eric rushed over to Sookie and began unchaining her.

_Fucking iron. Of course. _He had been curious as to how they held her. Sookie fell into his arms and he gave a her a gentle shake. "Sookie? You must drink." He tore into his wrist and pressed it against her lips.

She felt the warm sticky liquid dripping into her mouth and slithering down the back of her throat. She expected to start feeling better instantly, but was disappointed. Instead, she felt colder. Her heart sputtered. _Open your eyes. Open your eyes. _She knew in that moment that she was too far gone for his blood to save her. All she wanted was to look at him one last time, but her eyes never opened.

Jason and Hadley ran down the stairs just in time to watch Bill and Lorena disintegrate.

"Hey. I can't believe we almost missed out on the action. We followed you guys and snuck in through a window. There was a guy on some kind of life support machine upstairs. Hadley said if we unplugged it, then you could come in. Guess it worked." Jason wore a grand smile on his face, proud that he could help save his little sister. The smile vanished the moment his eyes landed on Eric cradling a very dead looking Sookie. "Sook?"

---

Sookie couldn't breathe and it was freaking her out. Her eyes shot open and it was all dark. She started panicking until she felt Eric's arms wrapped around her. She turned to face her lover and found herself staring into his beautiful blue eyes. And then it hit her. It was pitch black. Why could she see him so clearly? If her heart was still beating it would've stopped. The panic swelled up again and Eric finally moved, reaching out and pulling Sookie out of _a fucking grave. _As soon as she felt the night air hit her, the tears started to fall.

"Sookie." Eric was still holding her and had started to rock her gently in his arms. "Sookie, I am sorry. I know you never wanted this. I just… I didn't know you would… You had lost so much blood…" Eric turned her around to face him and raised his hand to wipe away the trails of blood that had stained her cheeks. "Please… could you ever forgive me?"

She noted the sincerity in his voice. "Eric, I'm not mad at you. It's just… so much to take in. I don't…" Her voice trailed off as she took in her surroundings. She stiffened suddenly and turned back to face her lover with fear in her eyes. "Jason. Hadley? They were… I felt them, but I don't remember seeing them. Are they…" She couldn't finished the sentence. Her brain rejected the concept of anything happening to her two remaining family members.

"They're both safe. And quite proud of their ingenuity." Eric gave a small smile, but she could feel his uncertainty through their new incredibly potent bond.

"You're still worried that I'm upset with you."

"Yes." Eric knew that Sookie was used to putting on a show for everyone else's benefit and this could very easily be one of those times.

"Eric. You were right about me not wanting to be a vampire. But I was going to die… permanently… had you not done what you did. And I wasn't ready for that. I'm not going to lie and say I'm not upset, but it's not because of you. I'm upset with myself. I should've known better than to trust him. I… Pam… she told me to run, but I… he promised…" The tears started falling again and Eric clutched her to his chest.

"You did nothing wrong, Sookie. He would've done it whether you went with him or not. Don't blame yourself." Eric felt his own tears threatening to spill over. He certainly missed Pam, but he never would've blamed Sookie for what happened.

"I just… I wish I could've done something. Stopped him. I tried, but I couldn't get out of the chains. I don't know why. If I had, I would've killed him. I never wanted to kill anyone more. I… I miss her so much." Her soft whimpering had turned into full on sobs and she buried her face in Eric's shoulder.

He cradled her and rocked her for a good forty-five minutes until her sobs quieted.

Sookie sniffled and wiped her eyes. "My throat hurts."

Eric let out a small laugh and lifted Sookie's head and looked into her eyes. "You are thirsty. Come, we'll get you someone to eat."

Sookie cringed. "Um. I think I'll just drink the synthetic blood." She didn't like the thought of drinking from a living being.

That only caused Eric to laugh more. "We'll see."

_Cocky._

---

When they returned to the bar, they went in the employee entrance. Eric led her straight to his office, where she slumped onto the couch. He walked out to the bar to retrieve her blood and saw Godric, Thomas, Jason, and Hadley waiting for a report.

"She's fine. She's just thirsty." Eric opened a bottle of A negative and popped it in the microwave.

Everyone sat in silence, waiting for the blood to warm up. As soon as Eric, he pulled the bottle out, recapped it, and shook it to even out the temperature. On his way back to his office, he heard Jason speak up.

"I can't believe my little sister is a vampire now. That's so weird."

---

Eric passed Sookie the bottle and watched her take a tiny cautious sip. She cringed and he laughed.

"That's horrible. How do you drink that?" Sookie knew the answer before he said it.

"I don't. You know, you shouldn't be worried about the donors. They're quite willing." Eric put on his best charming smile and tried to talk her into it.

"I… I don't know. It's really weird just… using someone for food." She took another swig from the bottle and cringed again. "Okay."

Eric smiled and walked out to the bar for the second time to call in a couple of donors.

---

When they arrived, he brought them back to his office and presented them to Sookie. "Would you prefer the man or the woman?"

Without hesitating, Sookie asked for the woman. Eric raised his eyebrow, but said nothing. The woman went to stand in front of Sookie and the man went to him. Eric let his fangs run down and Sookie did the same.

"Now, lover, locate the vein in her throat and bite down gently. You'll need very little pressure to break the skin." Eric demonstrated with his donor.

After watching Eric, she felt a bit more confident and did the same with her donor. As soon as she felt the blood gush into her mouth, her eyes lit up. It was the most delicious thing she'd ever tasted. She couldn't remember why she'd been so hesitant. She drew on the wound and swallowed more of her blood. Out of corner of her eye, she saw Eric pull away and lick the wounds on the man's neck and she mimicked his actions. She felt him swell with pride and smiled up at him. They thanked their donors and Eric showed them out.

She could feel his lust pouring through the bond when he was on his way back to the office. It nearly knocked her to her knees. She tried sending calm back to him. As much as she wanted him (a lot), she had to ask him something before he made her forget.

He walked through the door and smiled at her. She could still feel his need and it took everything in her to stop him from doing what they both desperately craved.

She placed a hand on his chest and pushed him down on the couch. "Question first."

He nodded, but considered sending her another wave of lust.

She sat down beside him and rested her clasped hands on her knees. She looked at her hands when she spoke. "When I was… I had this dream. In it, there was this glowing man who came to me. Eric…" She looked into his eyes. "Who is Niall?"

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**__** I apologize for my prolonged absence and neglect, but I have found myself quite ill. And, as I am currently very heavily medicated, I believe that I should probably try to stay away from the internet/phone so that I don't embarrass myself. (I've been known to do that under the influence.) I apologize again and hopefully, I will be back to my stellar self in no time.**_


	23. Gift

Eric stiffened at the name. "He introduced himself as Niall?" Eric was in disbelief. _Why would he be interested in Sookie? She's not even a full fairy. He wouldn't try to take her away from me… would he?_

Sookie didn't mean to read his thoughts, but they came in so much clearer now and she really couldn't help it. "Is he a fairy?"

Eric turned back to her and tried to speak in what he thought was a calm voice. "Yes. Royalty, actually. A prince. I am curious as to what business he would have with you." His eyebrows scrunched together. "Sookie, love, did he seem familiar… at all… to you?"

"I think so… I'm not exactly sure. My Gran had this pictures that she kept in a box on her nightstand. She saw me looking at them when I was little and I guess she didn't want me to, because I never saw them again. He… kind of looks like the man in the pictures, but I don't really remember." She thought back to the dream and how his presence had calmed her. "I don't think he meant me any harm."

"Perhaps I should speak with Godric." Eric reached out and gently brushed a hair out of her face. "Will you be alright here by yourself for a moment?"

Sookie felt comforted that he actually cared enough to ask that. She smiled and sent peace through the bond. "Yes. I'll be fine." She waited on the couch patiently as she watched him walk out of the office and over to the bar.

As soon as he was gone, she saw the flash of light again. Before she could stop herself, she sent shock through the bond and Eric and Godric were by her side in a second, fangs down.

Niall stood tall before the three vampires and offered a smile to Sookie, who wore an expression that could only be described as panic. Her love was very ready to rip apart the strange man before she even had the chance to ask questions.

She rose from the couch and placed a hand against Eric's stomach. His hard, smooth, _perfect_ stomach. _Maybe I can just…_ She shook her head as Eric winked in her direction.

"I was too late." The sadness in his voice was striking.

"I don't understand." Sookie lifted her eyes to meet his. Sookie's brain was spinning - trying to figure why a stranger would think he was too late for anything, especially when he wasn't expected.

Niall took a step closer to her. "I could not save you before. When you were being held. I could not save you and you died. I have failed you."

Both Eric and his maker tensed at the mention of Sookie's death.

She looked up at the angelic man with red-rimmed eyes. "Who _are_ you?" She knew the answer already, but she was determined to hear it from him.

"I am your great-grandfather."

Okay, so maybe she didn't know the answer.

She felt the room tense up at his confession. "Um…" Sookie was already an emotional wreck and the thought of another bombshell shook her to the bone, but she just had to know. "How long have you known that? Is that why I can read minds? Wait. You're not my great-grandfather. I remember him from when I was little. And you are definitely not him." She knew she was going to fast, but she just couldn't bring herself to slow down. "And why did you think it was your responsibility to save me? I can take care of myself… mostly. And it turned out just fine anyways."

He held up a hand to stop her rant and, surprisingly, it worked. "My son, Fintan… he… your grandmother, Adele…" He paused to gather his thoughts. He'd never been so flustered in his life and it was not a pleasing concept.

Eric could feel the rage rising up in Sookie. That was the only warning he got and it was enough. He quickly wrapped his arms around her waist as she went off.

"My grandmother was a good woman! A good _Christian_ woman. And she would _never_ be unfaithful! How dare you even imply that! _What is wrong with you? _You cain't jus' come in some place and start talkin' bad about somebody's grandmother! You oughta be ashaimt of yerself!" Her country accent was becoming more and more pronounced and she got louder and louder. The rage was pouring off of her in waves.

Eric was stronger than her. And he knew it. But he also knew the second she remembered her other little gifts, she'd be unstoppable. He spun her around in his arms and pulled her tightly to his chest. He was rubbing soft circles on her back and shushing her. "Lover, you need to calm yourself."

She wrenched herself out of his arms and glared at him. "Are you picking his side?"

Eric knew there was no right answer, so he stayed silent, which also turned out to be a wrong answer.

She rolled her eyes and headed for the door when Godric stepped in front of her.

"Sookie, stop."

She did.

"I know you are not ready to hear this right now, but he is being truthful with you." Godric could sense her anger and continued before she could interrupt him. "You know that I would never lie to you, Sookie."

She paused. _This is wrong. She wouldn't do that. She'd never do that. I know her. Why?_

Eric wrapped his arms around her and sent calming waves through their bond.

Niall spoke up again, with a softer tone this time, as if talking to a child. "I am sorry that I have upset you. I came to apologize for one thing and end up apologizing for two." A soft smile crossed his face, but it was gone as quickly as it arrived. He suddenly perked up. "Is there anything I can get for you, child?" It was obvious by the look on his face that he was excited about this offer.

Sookie just blinked at him. "What?"

"Anything. Anything you want. Just tell me what it is." Niall clearly believed that he was honoring Sookie with such a gesture.

"Pam!" Sookie blurted out her request before anyone had a chance to react. "I want Pam back."

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**__** I apologize for taking so long. Thank you all for being so patient with me. 3**_


End file.
